My first cup of coffee was exactly that—a cup. Or more likely, a mug. It was love at first sip, albeit tempered at the time with milk and sugar. I’ve since graduated to simple and black.
But there’s a shift happening in the world of coffee, and it starts with a mindset, not a demographic.
We’ve seen plenty of trends start with younger consumers and then move upstream. What’s emerging now is bigger than iced lattes and canned cold brews. It’s what we call the Gen Z Mindset—a value system that prioritizes personal expression, convenience, customization, and cultural relevance. And it’s rapidly rewriting the rules of coffee culture.
From rite of passage to daily identity
Drinking coffee was once a signal of adulthood. For older generations, the average starting age hovered around 18 to 20. But Gen Z? They’re starting as early as 15, according to Mintel. Coffee isn’t something you grow into—it’s something you grow with.
And it doesn’t come in one form.
While hot coffee still dominates total category volume, cold coffee has become a daily ritual. It’s not a replacement, but a complement. Gen Z drinks hot coffee in the morning and iced or blended versions as afternoon fuel, social signal, or self-care.
Coffee’s fourth wave: innovation meets influence
There’s also a less visible shift underway: pricing. In 2024, global coffee prices surged nearly 39 percent, with Arabica prices rising 58 percent and Robusta climbing more than 70 percent year-over-year. These spikes were driven largely by climate events—droughts, extreme heat, and irregular rainfall in top-producing countries like Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
In the U.S., retail coffee prices rose 6.6 percent between 2023 and 2024. And there’s more pressure ahead. A 50 percent tariff on Brazilian coffee, set to take effect in August 2025, will likely push prices even higher.
This matters for Gen Z and the brands trying to reach them. Rising prices make value, format, and portion size critical variables in a category that’s already being reshaped by lifestyle shifts.
According to Circana's Caleb Bryant, we’ve entered coffee’s fourth wave. Early waves brought availability, quality, and artisan craft. This one is driven by format innovation and TikTok.
Ready-to-drink (RTD) cans and bottles are growing faster than any other non-alcoholic beverage category.
Starbucks reports that 75 percent of U.S. beverage sales are now cold, fueled by Gen Z preferences.
Westrock Coffee, the largest supplier to U.S. restaurants, notes that Gen Z expects coffee to reflect their lifestyle—portable, customizable, and shareable.
What’s changing—and what’s next
1. Cold is king, but not exclusive Gen Z isn’t rejecting hot coffee. They’re remixing coffee occasions throughout the day. That means multiple formats per person, per week.
2. Design for first impressions The first coffee experience for many Gen Zers isn’t a mug—it’s a can, a drive-thru iced latte, or a bottled protein-coffee hybrid. The entry point has changed.
3. Customization and culture Flavored cold foam. Matcha-coffee hybrids. Protein boosts. The line between coffee and lifestyle drink is disappearing.
4. Sustainability isn’t optional Ethical sourcing and packaging transparency aren’t bonus points. They’re expectations. Gen Z’s values drive loyalty.
Where the category is headed
Personalized everything The next wave will be even more modular—flavors, functions, formats. Think: coffee as a canvas, not a product.
More RTD options, more often Canned and bottled coffee will continue to lead category growth, opening the door for new use cases and channels.
Conscious consumption Expect greater scrutiny on ingredient sourcing, sugar levels, and packaging impact. Brands that communicate with clarity and humility will win.
At 6 Seeds, we help brands decode the mindset behind these trends—so you're not chasing the wave, you're shaping it.
If you want to understand how the Gen Z Mindset will affect your portfolio, brand voice, or innovation roadmap, let’s talk.
And if this piece resonated, forward it to someone in brand, R&D, or innovation who's ready to rethink what coffee means to the next generation.