The world of beer is more diverse and interesting as ever, with new beer styles being released on a regular basis. The craft beer movement is still booming and us beer lovers are always looking for what beer style to jam on next. Here are seven beer styles we expect to be big this year:
IPA's Hold Strong
America’s favorite style is here to stay awhile longer. Outperforming its sisters and brothers, nearly all breweries have curated their own brew of this style. And now, the IPA category has expanded into even more varietals to jam on: double, triple, session, east coast, west coast… the list goes on and on for your drinking pleasure.
Gimme Some Flava
According to a market research study by IRI, 75% of last year’s top selling new beers have a flavor component to them. I particularly favor New Belgium’s Citradelic Tangerine IPA and Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin IPA, both landing in the top ten. Keeping the hops forward on the palette, these beers are bright and fruity without a cloying sweetness. Folks have also been digging hard sodas like Best Damn Cherry Cola and Henrys Hard, the latter topping the list of best sellers with their Orange Soda.
Folks are Losing Interest in Ciders
Ciders had a good showing, proving to us all that there was more to the style than just the sticky sweet apple tincture we were first introduced to (sorry, Shocktop fans). However, ciders sales have slowed in growth by nearly 10% since last year. Perhaps this is due to the increasing portfolio of infusions and flavorings to our existing favorite styles, reigning over cider’s hop-less, malt free taste.
Pass Two Pints
Marijuana is big business, and states that have passed recreational use legislation are doing some experimenting. Yup, brewers are combining everyone's two favorite kick-back companions into one hoppy pleasure. Best news is that we can only expect this category to grow. Four states passed recreational use on Election Day 2016, bringing the total to 8 states loving the ganj. And even before our hard working pot heads had their big day, feds approved the sale of a cannabis-infused brew. Say what’s up to Dad and Dudes Breweria’s George Washington Secret Stash IPA. It won’t get you high, as it lacks still federally banned THC, but it is sure to compliment your joint quite nicely.
Are Blondes Having More Fun?
Blonde and Golden Ales were popular in 2016, and we can anticipate to see the trend continue into this year. A steady balance of hop and malt flavors, these light-bodied brews are easy to drink with enough flavor to satisfy. I’m a total sucker myself for Kona Brewing’s Big Wave Golden Ale and am sure to be ordering for a hearty pour during the sweltering summer months.
Aged Like a Fine... Beer?
Beer geeks are getting wild with barrel aging their brews and we’re totally into it. Barrels, once upon a time, were a necessity in the brewing process until stainless steel tanks and kegs came along. It wasn’t until the nineties that brewers rekindled the flame and started to marry their love of beer and bourbon with emptied bourbon barrels. The result was a complex, woodsy brew with more depth in one pint than your average case. Now, we’re seeing tequila, rum, and even maple syrup being used to create unique pours. Check out Cigar City’s White Oak Jai Alai for a twist on a classic or get spicy with the rare Ten Ninety Brewing’s Tabasco Imperial Porter.
Pucker Up for Sours
I’ve been crushing hard on sours lately. A total stand-out style, sours have been relatively popular in Europe for quite some time and now American brewers are beginning to experiment with the mouth-watering ale. With its own variety of sub-styles to choose from, such as Lambic or barrel aged, you won’t quickly be bored of this genre. To get a feel on sours, check out New Belgium’s line of four distinct sours including a dry-hopped sour and a sour brown ale.
Have you already been sipping on any of these styles? We know we're looking forward to getting our hops and malts on with these styles on the lineup.