People’s tastes are always changing. One day bellbottoms are all the rage, and the next day they’re out. Once you think you’ve identified the next big thing, it’s being replaced by the next, next big thing. However, staying ahead of the trends is the key to success in many industries.
Craft beer is no exception.
Keeping up with the latest beer trends is what keeps your craft brewery alive and thriving, whether you’re hopping on the IPA bandwagon or curating a unique flavor profile that blasts traditional beer out of the water. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the latest beer trends and how they can affect growth in the industry.
Trends in Beer Categories
There are few things more frustrating to a bartender than when a customer comes up to the bar and says: I’ll have a beer. It’s not that the sentiment isn’t appreciated, but with all the various types of beer available, the lack of specificity is mind-boggling. It makes you wonder if this same person walks into an Italian restaurant and says: I’ll have the pasta.
Thankfully, this type of broad orderer is becoming rarer and rarer as the beer industry becomes more customized to individual tastes. Thanks to the craft beer industry, consumers are more familiar than ever with the different categories of beer available to them. Of course, with familiarity comes shifting preferences. So, which categories are set up for growth?
#1 Does IPA Stand for Isn’t Popular Anymore?
Nope. It doesn’t. The popularity of IPAs was one of the major drivers of the growth of the craft beer industry and they aren’t going anywhere.
However, due to the sheer volume of IPAs on the beer market today, it’s difficult to craft a best seller. Nonetheless, IPA beer production is a landscape of innovation, and even within this category, micro-trends are starting to emerge:
- Hazy or Imperial? – When it comes to growth in the IPA category, New England style hazy IPAs and Imperial IPAs lead the way. While hazy IPAs have had slightly less growth than they saw a couple of years ago, their success as a category topLive Assistants the IPA list with Imperial IPAs nipping at their heels.
- No love for Americans – If you were on top of trends from a couple of years back, you’re probably asking why American IPAs weren’t mentioned with the Hazy and Imperial. Thing is, American IPAs are actually losing ground. When you start in as strong a position as the American IPA, you can afford to lose some popularity, but for the first time in a while, their trend arrow isn’t pointing up.
- Say hello to my big friend – Any trend that lasts long enough is sure to attract the attention of the big brands. IPAs are no different, and hazy offerings from large companies like Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams are proving that the big boys want in.
- Still room to innovate – If the Boston tea party taught us anything, it’s that you may want to think twice before picking a fight with Sam Adams. That said, the entrants of bigger brands into the IPA field will only succeed in turning more people onto IPAs, and when they decide to branch out, they’ll look to innovate styles to quench their newly found thirst for IPAs.
#2 He Drinks a Whiskey Drink; He Drinks a Lager Drink
Chumbawamba was predicting the rise of lagers in the craft brewing industry since 1997 (that is what the song was about, right?) and it looks like their prophecy is coming true. It’s not that lagers have ever been unpopular but their popularity mostly stemmed from large producers like Budweiser and Coors.
Things seem to be changing. No, Bud and Coors aren’t going anywhere, but more consumers are looking for high-quality craft lagers. While lagers are more difficult to produce, the market is there for those willing to put in the work.
#3 Sweet and Sour Beer, Hold the Sweet
It wasn’t that long ago when finding sour beer offerings could feel like searching for a unicorn. But times have changed. While sour beers are still a niche market, their growth has been impressive, as consumers looking for something different become more familiar with the beer style.
Adding to their appeal is their variability. By adding different flavors such as fruits or vanilla, craft brewers are able to cut some of the tartness and create sour beers that are even more accessible to the average beer drinker (so maybe don’t hold the sweet after all).
#4 Rise of the Seltzer
One of the interesting things to consider in the beer industry is all the things that aren’t beer making their way into the space. Hard seltzers seemingly exploded onto the scene. While their growth seems to be slowing, that’s probably, in part, due to how large it was to begin with. Add in RTDs, hard kombuchas, and other offerings, and it leaves craft brewers with a few things to consider:
- Shelf space – There’s only so much space in the cooler and if stores look to meet demand by giving some of that space to non-beer products, that could mean less room for new offerings. If you’re going to introduce something new, be ready to fight for your space.
- Innovation – Just because these products aren’t technically beer doesn’t mean brewers won’t be the ones making them. Figuring out how you can incorporate seltzers or other non-beer offerings in a way that doesn’t just look like jumping onto the trend is an opportunity to innovate and stand out amongst the crowd.
#5 Less Alcohol, Please
As craft beer becomes more ubiquitous and a greater variety in offerings emerge on the market, more people are becoming beer lovers. While that can be seen in the increased demand, it can also be seen in the demand for healthier offerings.
Low-calorie, low-alcohol, and even non alcoholic beer options have been growing as more brewers create high-flavor versions of these products. The days of low-alcohol being synonymous with low-flavor are no more.
Trends in Brand Considerations
There’s more to brewing than just beer. With so many different craft breweries to choose from, having a recognizable brand is more important than ever. And while you may want your brand to purely be associated with “good beer,” that’s not enough.
Here are a few other things to consider when crafting your brand identity:
- Marketing – How do you reach out to your customers? Traditional media reaches a different group than social media. Even which social media platform you focus on will change who’s seeing your marketing—younger audiences flock to TikTok and Instagram, while older demographics are primarily visiting Facebook. To that end, considering what’s the most effective form of outreach is more important than ever.
- Diversity – Beer was once considered the drink of young, white, cis-males. But as the customer base expands, so does the need for diversity in the brewers themselves. Cultivating your brewers’ board with diverse voices from many backgrounds can transform your business’ decision-making process and help your product appeal to younger audiences.
- Mission – Young consumers are especially drawn to beer brands that work for something—a brand with a social conscience. Letting consumers in on what drives your brews and inspires your brewers can help create brand loyalty.
Trends in Industry Thoughts
The final thing to consider is how the industry itself is changing. The pandemic forced shifts in nearly all industries, and when it comes to craft beer—an industry whose lifeblood is tied to in-person interaction—these changes were sometimes major.
While it’s unclear what will stick in a post-pandemic world, some things certainly will and it’s worth being aware of where the industry appears to be heading:
- Contactless tech – The whole service industry was forced to embrace contactless technology just to function during the pandemic. Even as the pandemic eases and eventually fades, this technology will be here to stay. Any establishment that serves people in-person and doesn’t employ contactless tech will start to feel like a relic of the past.
- DTC – Direct-to-consumer is a tricky thing to assess. There’s certainly a demand for alcohol delivery and the convenience it brings, but what will the laws be? Many laws restricting DTC efforts were repealed during the pandemic, and it’s anyone’s guess how long that will last. Generally speaking though, once you start allowing something that people want, it becomes difficult to roll that back.
- Supply chain – Supply chain issues are a reality everyone is dealing with. While often felt most when it comes to cans, disruptions can affect ingredients too. And simply passing down these costs to the consumer could potentially alienate your customers. Finding ways to keep costs down while dealing with the current realities is a major puzzle to solve—and it’s clear that any solution will lead the industry.
Sleeving and Co-Packing with Wildpack
One way to stay on top of trends and combat supply chain issues is using a beverage co-packer.
At Wildpack Beverage, we offer more than just that.
Our top-quality co-packing and packaging services allow your brand to grow without excessive capital investment. In addition to co-packing, we can also help you with your branding by providing shrink sleeving services.
The craft beer industry is always shifting and you need to stay ahead of it. At Wildpack, we can help you achieve that goal.
Sources:
Hop Culture. 8 Beer Industry Trends to Watch in 2022. https://www.hopculture.com/craft-beer-industry-trends-2022/
Britannica. Samuel Adams. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Adams
Wine Enthusiast. The Most Common Beer Styles, Explained. https://www.winemag.com/2020/09/03/most-popular-style-beer-guide/
Beverage Dynamics. 10 Craft Beer Trends in 2022. https://beveragedynamics.com/2022/01/09/10-craft-beer-trends-in-2022/
BevSource. Five Trends Propelling Craft Beer into 2021. https://www.bevsource.com/news/five-trends-propelling-craft-beer-2021
Forbes. The Trends And Challenges The Craft Beer Industry Is Facing. https://www.forbes.com/sites/hudsonlindenberger/2021/11/30/the-trends-and-challenges-the-craft-beer-industry-is-facing/?sh=6c70d7cccbb9
Craft Brewing Business. Three craft beer industry trends heading into 2022. https://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/featured/three-craft-beer-industry-trends-heading-into-2022/
