Photo credit: www.brewersassociation.org

We’re more than a 1/3 of the way through 2018, and like every year in craft, the market continues to evolve. In this post I wanted to check in on the two style trends that Paul Gatza and I mentioned in our “State of the Industry” presentation at the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) and see if they were continuing in the same fashion in 2018.

Looking at the year-to-date style data underlines how craft continues to diversify and bifurcate, with beer lovers who want bold, fuller-flavored hoppy styles, others who want lighter, crisp styles, and many who are likely drinking both in different occasions. As always, knowing what styles are growing nationally is irrelevant without understanding the variations in your local market and how those styles fit (or don’t) with your brewery and brands.

Hoppy Beers Still Primary Growth Driver of Craft

The first style bucket Paul and I highlighted was hoppy beers. The short answer is that they are still the primary growth driver of craft. Digging in a bit deeper, however, it’s clear that as always, hoppy innovation has shifted the growth within IPA fairly significantly in a short time.

More on this story here >>
 

  Filed under: Beer Styles
  Tagged under: American IPA, Beer Style Trends, Brewers Association, Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America, Fruit IPA and American Pale Ales, Hazy and Juicy IPAs and Pale Ales, Hoppy Beers, Lighter Craft Beer Styles, style trends