The Grand Tasting: Where Food & Beverage’s Future Pours
Every year, the hospitality industry’s most influential decision-makers and up-and-coming brands descend on Palm Beach Gardens for ECRM’s On & Off Premise Adult Beverage Session. And one of the key highlights of the session is the Grand Tasting, proudly sponsored by Food & Beverage Magazine. Think of this as the ultimate playground for restaurant owners, hospitality managers, procurement directors, beverage industry leaders, and anyone hungry for menu innovation and flavor trends redefining food and beverage in 2025.
A Fast-Paced, Flavor-Filled Agenda
The Grand Tasting lands on Monday, August 25, 2025—and the energy in the room will be nothing short of electric, from the 5:30 PM product setup to the 6:15–7:45 PM main tasting and the awards reveal at 8:30 PM, In addition to the Grand Tasting, here’s what sets this ECRM session apart from every other beverage industry gathering.
- Rapid-fire meetings: ECRM’s unique format gives you targeted, results-driven introductions, pairing buyers and F&B execs with top suppliers from wine, beer, spirits, RTDs, NA options, and boundary-pushing THC drinks.
- Buzzworthy programming: Attendees don’t just taste—they learn. Trends guru Kaleigh Theriault from NIQ will unpack exclusive beverage market data fueling on-trend menus and category growth. Don’t overlook the golf networking or the live fireside chat with wine entrepreneur Michael Franzese (learn more at Franzese Wines).
- Face-to-face engagement: You’ll meet suppliers like never before, vote, and share unfiltered feedback to influence who takes home this year’s Food Industry Awards.
A Taste Test That Transforms the Industry
If your role involves menu design, beverage program development, or food and beverage management, you know the value of real-world tastings. This session makes every attendee a taste tester.
What Will You Taste?
- Plant-based cocktails aligned with the surge in sustainable food brands.
- Adaptogen drinks and mushroom elixirs fueling the functional beverage wave.
- Next-gen THC seltzers riding wellness and moderation trends.
- Viral flavors—from pistachio milk and ube to premium, regionally-inspired wines and alcohol-free innovations.
- RTDs, hard seltzers, and spirits that are transforming drink menus nationwide.
Each supplier brings their three best—so you explore, taste, and compare with purpose.
Live Industry Awards: The Voice of the Crowd
Forget stuffy, behind-closed-door competitions. The Grand Tasting by Food & Beverage Magazine, puts power in the hands (and palates) of food & beverage’s most engaged pros:
- Best Wine
- Best Spirit
- Best Beer
- Most Innovative Product
- Best Ready to Drink
Votes get tallied live, and winners are celebrated with all the flair (and networking buzz) they deserve during a dinner reveal. This structure ensures that every vote, every comment, and every pour truly matters—and can even launch new food and beverage companies into the national spotlight.
Meet the Beverage Innovators: Suppliers Shaking Up 2025
Expect to connect directly with the disruptors at this year’s Grand Tasting:
- 420 Craft Beverages: Fresh takes on cannabis-infused drinks for wellness-savvy sippers.
- Bayou City Hemp Company: At the cutting-edge with THC seltzers and a fully integrated, compliant approach.
- Sayless Spritz / Beverage Assets: Canned wine spritzers that satisfy health-minded, flavor-forward consumers.
- Bluebird Hardwater: Bubble-free vodka and tequila cocktails that defy convention.
- Brio Nutrition: Adaptogen and mushroom elixirs blending global wellness with local authenticity.
- Dô Asian Cocktails: Real Asian fruit and artisanal processes for RTDs that stand out.
- …and a cast of innovative beverage leaders pushing boundaries in the food & beverage industry.
For more on brands shaping beverage trends, catch our recent feature on Sunny Sky Products.
Menu Innovation & Food Industry Trends: What to Watch
It’s not just about what’s in your glass—it’s about what you can bring back to your operation. The Grand Tasting delivers actionable insights for:
- Menu Engineering: Find products that drive profitability and keep guests coming back (see how Shake Shack innovates for results).
- Restaurant Marketing: Leverage award-winners and experience-driven events to boost buzz and F&B program sales. Premium pricing strategies start here.
- Food Safety & Sustainability: Meet suppliers focusing on eco-friendly packaging, transparent sourcing, and compliance.
- Hospitality Technology: Learn how top procurement directors and foodservice executives use tech to elevate beverage service. Get the latest food service industry tech trends.
Why Attend? Immediate Value for Hospitality Leaders
This isn’t just an event for tasting—it’s a hub for idea exchange and industry benchmarking. Past honorees, like MAD TASTY’s THC Seltzer (2024 Most Innovative, madtasty.com), and Franzese Wine’s Areni, show the diversity and fast pace that define the new F&B landscape.
At the 2024 Grand Tasting, suppliers shared that the true value extended beyond trophies: it was the opportunity to collaborate, gain unfiltered buyer feedback, and tap directly into what’s trending with guests and customers.
In a world where flavors and consumer habits change overnight, having a seat at this table is a must for every food and beverage director, restaurant group, and hospitality company looking to stay ahead.
Your Next Steps: Connect, Taste, and Influence
Ready to make your mark at the ECR Adult Beverage Sessions? Secure your spot now and plan your networking. Bring back actionable ideas to your team and position your brand (or operation) as a leader in menu innovation, procurement, and food and beverage sustainability.
Don’t forget to check Food & Beverage Magazine throughout the event for:
- Live coverage and behind-the-scenes interviews from industry icons;
- In-depth recaps on this year’s awards and what set the top products apart;
- Strategy tips to bring these beverage trends to your guests—whether you run a restaurant, manage a large hospitality group, or oversee institutional buying.
Related Reading From Food & Beverage Magazine
- Sunny Sky Products is Shaping the Future of Beverages
- Menu Engineering That Works: How Shake Shack’s Strategic Changes Boosted Profitability and Customer Loyalty
- Tech Trends Transforming the Foodservice Landscape
- Premium Pricing Strategies: The Capital Grille’s Approach to Maximizing Adult Beverage Sales
Join the Conversation
Are you ready to shake up your beverage program? Tell us what flavors and formats your customers are craving, and post your own tasting notes below. Who are you excited to meet at ECRM 2025? Comment and connect!
#FoodAndBeverage #GrandTasting #ECRM2025 #MenuInnovation #BeverageIndustry #HospitalityLeaders
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
This post was created with editorial oversight and AI assistance.
