What’s Trending Lately In American Craft Beer

The American Craft movement is a non-stop parade of ideas and ever-changing brewing directions – that’s one of the things that makes it so much fun. What was once the new “next big thing” can quickly become commonplace (barrel-aged stouts anybody?) but it seems like there’s always something new just around the corner.

And here a couple of things that are trending right now in the world of craft beer…

 

, What’s Trending Lately In American Craft BeerFlavored IPAs Are On A Roll

Get ready to see a lot more of those fruit and spicy hot IPAs this summer because this trend seems to be reaching critical mass. What started with the occasional grapefruit or Jalapeno IPA offerings a couple of years back, has entered the mainstream marketplace with a vengeance.

Starr Hill is so confident about the viability of these flavored IPAs that they’ve built a special release around them…

Starr Hill’s Four Kings Variety Pack which features three different takes on their popular King of Hop Imperial IPA. In addition to their popular dry-hopped flagship, this 12-pack also includes a Grapefruit King of Hops, a Lemon-Lime King of Hops and a Habanero version.

We see these hybrids as niche attention getters – and another way of capitalize on Americas most popular style…Their staying power is debatable, as far as were concerned – but they’re certainly trending right now.

 

, What’s Trending Lately In American Craft BeerThe Gose Is Not Going Away

Riding the coattails of the Sour and Wild Ales acceptance is the Gose , German traditonal sour style that has established its own separate identity and following with American Craft brewers and fans . Once the domain of a very few true believers, breweries like Westbrook in South Carolina, this sour and salty style has rightfully come into its own.

But when companies like Reuben’s Brews start offering their Gose as a year-round canned offering, you can’t help but acknowledge that the Gose has arrived – and we don’t see them going away anytime soon.

 

, What’s Trending Lately In American Craft BeerCanned Craft Beer – The New Normal

There was a time, when the craft brewers would never consider canning their craft beers – there was a time canned craft beer was anathema to everything our industry thought it stood for. But we see that time as long gone

What started back in 2002, when Dale Katechis first turned to canning at Oscar Blues, grew to become an unstoppable flood that seems to have won over even its harshest opponents.  And you can sense that a long battle is close to an end, when bastions like Stone Brewing announces that they’ve begun canning their Arrogant Bastard…just sayin’.

There will be a time, not to far down the road, when canned craft beer will be the dominant packaging format for our industry…Given the many advantages of cans over bottles and the fact that with consumer resistance has clearly reached a tipping point –  canned craft beer is becoming the new normal.

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