Pumpkin spice may finally have a rival.
While Starbucks’ PSL remains the undefeated symbol of fall, another flavor is rising fast—Witches Brew, a caramel-apple themed phenomenon that’s dominating TikTok feeds and creeping into energy drinks, slushes, and cocktails.
Witches Brew is a spookier, flashier drink that’s slipping onto menus nationwide.
We examined the growth of this conversation, who’s driving it, and whether it could become the next big seasonal staple.
Our initial search focused on uncovered emerging, steady & emerging, and steady & growing trends, captured between 8/6 – 8/12/2025 on TikTok, where food culture often accelerates conversations:
US Food & Beverage Analysis (8/6-8/12/2025)
We captured a list of the Top 25 trending food & beverage items. Among familiar staples, one name stood out: Alani Nu’s Witch’s Brew Energy Drink. And witches brew ranked in its own right, capturing the second top spot in our discovery:
Top 25 Trending Food & Beverage items talked about on TikTok (8/6-8/12/2025)
Unlike many other fleeting micro-trends, Witch’s Brew was categorized as steady/emerging—not just a one-off spike. This means it’s showing sustained momentum rather than passing novelty. That’s an important signal: chatter around it isn’t just seasonal hype, but part of a broader shift in how consumers are talking about fall drinks.
Alani Witches Brew trend conversation (Jul 2023 – Jul 2025)
Looking at two years of conversation, Witch’s Brew shows a clear upward trajectory. Mentions rose steadily across fall 2023, surged in 2024, and carried into 2025 with higher baselines each season.
Celebrity influence amplified that trend. When Kim Kardashian posted about Alani in 2023, engagement spiked across TikTok, Instagram, and X, sparking broader awareness.
Since then, the drink has been cemented in the cultural conversation as not just a seasonal drop, but a signal of fall itself.
The analysis suggests Witch’s Brew isn’t confined to Alani’s marketing push—it has become a shorthand for a vibe, similar to how the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) became synonymous with autumn.
The sentiment analysis shows that conversation around Witches Brew is overwhelmingly positive. Words like “like,” “love,” “favorite,” “perfect,” and “enjoy” dominate, with many calling it the “perfect fall drink” or even a “personal favorite.”
Mentions of “best creamer” and “favorite fall wine” also reveal how the flavor is branching out across categories—from energy drinks to creamers, desserts, and even seasonal wines.
Demographically, the excitement is driven primarily by younger consumers on TikTok and Instagram, particularly women under 35 who tend to lead lifestyle and seasonal beverage conversations.
But the trend isn’t limited to Gen Z—millennials in their 30s and early 40s are also participating, often engaging with Witches Brew in more practical contexts (like adding it to coffee routines or buying it as a seasonal treat).
Together, these groups are fueling momentum from two angles: Gen Z is amplifying the aesthetic, social-sharing side of Witches Brew, while millennials are normalizing it as a seasonal flavor they’d actually keep in rotation. This dual adoption helps explain why mentions are climbing year-over-year rather than fading like a passing fad.
But even though the negative conversation is small, it’s important to understand, as it can derail the drink’s popularity.
Diverse Opinions and Health Concerns Surrounding 'Witches Brew' (35%)
The beverage 'Witches Brew' elicits a wide range of opinions, with some individuals enjoying its unique flavor profile, while others express strong aversion. There are also significant health concerns associated with its consumption, including reports of adverse reactions and potential toxicity. These concerns are amplified by social media, where users share experiences of 'stroke-like symptoms' and other health risks. Despite these issues, 'Witches Brew' remains popular in certain circles, indicating a complex consumer relationship with the product.
Some consumers anticipate it will be more of the same and taste like other blends, and some are sick of witches brew before they even drink it:
This mix underscores a key insight: while Witch’s Brew has excitement on its side, sustainability will depend on trust. If brands lean too hard into novelty without addressing health perceptions, the trend could backfire.
And when we corrected for established fall staples like pumpkin spice, chai tea, and hot apple cider, Witches Brew still generated a surprisingly high volume of conversation—and it has skyrocketed in mentions this year.
This reveals two things:
Rather than staying locked to one product, “Witches Brew” is beginning to act like a category marker—much like “pumpkin spice” expanded from a latte into cereals, desserts, and home goods.
When considered together, pumpkin spice is still the champion, with near-universal recognition, deep nostalgia, and broad product integration. Witches Brew, by contrast, is youth-driven and novelty-heavy. Its identity is playful, spooky, and visual-first.
The gap is clear, but so is the opportunity.
While pumpkin spice dominates comfort and nostalgia, Witches Brew is carving out space around energy, play, and Halloween identity. That makes it less a replacement and more a complement—giving consumers a second seasonal icon to anticipate each year, and possibly to carry with them beyond the fall season.
As we can see below, the conversation surrounding pumpkin spice is both mellowing and extending, by degrees. The time for disruption isn’t necessarily seasonal, at least not for long:
Pumpkin Spice conversation (Jul 2023 – July 2025)
Originally a strictly September–November flavor, conversation shows it is slowly extending year-round into cereals, creamers, and candles.
Could Witch’s Brew follow the same path?
For now, it’s a fun seasonal experiment. But as consumer buzz shows, Witches Brew has the potential to brew into something bigger, and maybe even spill over into year-round popularity, just as pumpkin spice has done.