SIAL Paris 2026 Visitor Guide: 7 Botanical Beverage Trends to Watch
From 17 to 21 October 2026, the global food and drink industry gathers at Paris Nord Villepinte for SIAL Paris, the world’s largest food innovation trade show. This year’s edition is expected to bring together up to 8,000 exhibitors and around 295,000 professionals from more than 200 countries, across 280,000 m² and 10 sectors.
For buyers in hospitality, retail and food service, the beverage aisles are where some of the most interesting shifts are happening. Below is a practical visitor guide to SIAL Paris 2026, followed by the seven botanical beverage trends we expect to define the show, and what they mean for European menus and shelves.
We’re writing as Rhymba Hills, a Malaysian botanical infusion brand that will be in Paris for SIAL week. So yes, we have a point of view. But these SIAL Paris 2026 trends are bigger than any one brand, and worth knowing whichever stands you visit.
7 botanical beverage trends to watch at SIAL Paris 2026
1. Functional is now the baseline, not the bonus
SIAL’s own trend analysis describes 2026 as the era of the “holistic drink”. Consumers increasingly expect a beverage to offer something beyond refreshment, whether that is a moment of calm, a better-for-you alternative or a richer ingredient story.
For buyers, the implication is simple: a plain, purely flavoured drink now has to work harder to earn shelf or menu space. Expect to see botanical infusions positioned around everyday wellbeing rituals rather than one-off novelty.
What to look for: brands that can explain the role of each ingredient clearly and honestly, without overreaching on claims.
2. Caffeine-free, around the clock
The afternoon and evening drinks occasion is being redesigned. Across the UK, France and the wider EU, more consumers are actively moderating caffeine, and hotels, restaurants and cafés are responding with serious caffeine-free menus rather than a token peppermint tea.
Herbal and botanical infusions are well placed here because they work across dayparts: hot after dinner, iced at lunch, or as the base of an alcohol-free serve in the evening.
What to look for: caffeine-free ranges with enough flavour depth to stand on their own, not just as a fallback option.
3. Botanicals have to earn their place through flavour
A clear message from beverage research this year: botanical drinks perform best when the botanical actually contributes to taste, not just to the label. Consumers are moving past ingredient lists that read like a supplement panel. They want to taste the ginger, smell the lemongrass, and see the colour of the roselle.
This is good news for producers working with whole, aromatic botanicals rather than extracts and flavourings.
What to look for: blends where you can identify each ingredient in the cup. Ask exhibitors where the flavour comes from.
4. Alcohol-free serves for hospitality
The no- and low-alcohol movement continues to reshape European bar and hotel menus. Botanical infusions are increasingly used as the backbone of sophisticated alcohol-free drinks, with complex aromatic profiles that hold up when chilled, sparkled or mixed.
For hotel buyers in particular, a premium botanical infusion can work twice: as a wellness tea service at breakfast and in the lounge, and as a base for signature alcohol-free cocktails at the bar.
What to look for: infusions that perform both hot and cold, with serving suggestions designed for hospitality teams.
5. Provenance and traceable sourcing
Sustainability alone is no longer a differentiator; it is an expectation. What stands out now is specific, verifiable provenance: which region, which farmers, which harvest. Buyers and consumers alike respond to botanicals with a sense of place, much as they do with single-origin coffee or wine.
Malaysia offers a compelling example. Bentong ginger, grown in the highlands of Pahang, is prized at home for its intense aroma and warmth, and is largely unknown on European menus.
What to look for: named origins, farmer partnerships and transparent supply chains, not just generic “natural” claims.
6. Certification as a route to wider audiences
Europe’s consumer base is diverse, and retailers and hotel groups increasingly want products that a broad range of guests can enjoy with confidence. Recognised certifications, including halal, help a product move smoothly into multicultural retail, airline and hospitality channels.
Malaysia’s JAKIM halal certification is one of the most widely recognised halal standards globally, which gives Malaysian botanical producers a practical advantage when entering European distribution. (See Halal-Certified Herbal Infusions: Sourcing JAKIM-Certified Botanicals for European Retail.)
What to look for: certifications that are current, recognised in your markets and easy to verify.
7. Southeast Asian flavours, and the premium gift
European palates have embraced Japanese matcha and yuzu, Indian chai and turmeric. Southeast Asia is next. Pandan, with its soft vanilla-like fragrance; lemongrass, bright and citrusy; roselle, tart and ruby-red; and Misai Kucing, a traditional Malaysian herb, offer European buyers something genuinely new while still feeling approachable.
These flavours also lend themselves to premium gifting, a strong category for hotels, corporate buyers and department stores heading into the festive season. A beautifully presented botanical infusion with a real cultural story makes a more memorable gift than another generic tea tin.
What to look for: flavours you haven’t seen on your menu yet, presented with enough story and context to sell themselves.
Where a Malaysian botanical brand fits in a global market
Look across these seven SIAL Paris 2026 trends and a pattern emerges: European buyers want drinks that are flavour-led, caffeine-free, honestly sourced, broadly inclusive and rooted in a real place.
That is exactly the space Rhymba Hills was built for. As a Malaysian botanical brand with global ambitions, we blend heritage ingredients, including Bentong ginger, lemongrass, pandan, Misai Kucing, roselle, Ceylon cinnamon and turmeric, into caffeine-free infusions designed for everyday rituals and premium gifting.
- JAKIM halal certified, supporting access to diverse retail and hospitality channels
- Award recognition in Paris and the UK
- Official partner of Visit Malaysia 2026, sharing Malaysian culture with the world
- Caffeine-free and versatile: enjoyable hot or iced, and adaptable as a base for alcohol-free serves
Meet Rhymba Hills during SIAL Paris 2026
We’ll be in Paris throughout SIAL week and are especially keen to meet hotel, hospitality and specialty retail buyers looking for a distinctive caffeine-free botanical range. Our booth is at the Malaysian Pavillion, Hall 4, P166.