It’s been an exciting time with the Symrise Flavor Madness Bracket! We have now completed the first and second round, eliminating 48 flavors and leaving us with the Sipping 16. If you are just joining us, refer to our introductory article for rules and field of flavors. Otherwise let’s continue below to our in-game analysis.

NATURAL GOODNESS REGION

We started the second round off hot, not one but two upsets in the Hard Seltzer region!

• #9 Pineapple upset by #1 Mango; how far can this tropical citrus make it?
• #15 Lemonade upset #7 Watermelon

Finishing out the Natural Goodness Region #3 Raspberry beat #6 Passionfruit and #4 Lemon strolled by cinderella story #12 Passionfruit Pineapple.

PREMIUM INDULGENCE REGION

Within Premium Indulgence a Canned Cocktail Region we saw three upsets this round, however all three were nail biters. Consumers could barely choose been #6 Martini vs #3 Long Island Iced Tea but ultimately the #6 Martini moves onto the next round.

• #1 Margarita beats #8 Vodka Cranberry; can any flavor stop #1 Margarita? Looks unlikely.
• #5 Manhattan edges out #4 Mimosa
• #10 Whiskey Ginger continues the surge to beat a fan favorite #2 Old Fashion.

As we said previously according to Technomic, Ginger is one of the top pairings with whiskey. Millennial consumers are very interested in brown spirits and over index in their consumption of American whiskey compared to other brown spirit consumers. #10 Whiskey Ginger faces a tough #6 Martini next round; can whiskey continue the success story?

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HEALTHY LIFESTYLE REGION

Our second #1 seed falls as #8 Strawberry Kiwi defeats #1 Lime. #1 Lime and #1 Mango are both top three flavors launched within Hard Seltzers and yet both are out in the second round; are consumers experiencing fatigue with these top flavors?

• #5 Lemon & Lime beats exotic #13 Strawberry Guava
• #3 Strawberry makes quick work of #6 Blueberry Pomegranate with over 70% of the vote
• #7 Raspberry Lime upsets #2 Black Cherry

Does anyone else notice that when it comes to Hard Seltzers citrus doesn’t seem to lose?

EMOTIONAL DISCOVERIES REGION

Our Emotional Discoveries mega trend has a few subtrends attached to it; cultural vibes, bold excitement and comforting moments. Interestingly enough the flavors that have made it to the Sipping 16 all embody our cultural vibes subtrend. This subtrend revolves around the taste travel we see consumers seeking, so grab your travel bag and let’s dive in.

• #1 Mojito beats #8 Hard Lemonade
• #13 Daiquiri hangs on to win a nail biter against #12 Hard Coffee
• #14 Pina Colada beats a brunch favorite #6 Bellini
• #7 Whiskey Sour takes the fizz out of #2 Gin and Tonic

With three topical beverages left in this region vs one brown spirit I can’t help but think for the next round I should grab a swim suit and good book; were going to the tropics.

Stay tuned for the results of next games!

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