What will be the next "big thing" in beer?

While I agree with more low abv brews I also think there will be more simple beers with few ingredients to highlight certain flavors.

 

There is a place here in Portland, ME that does stuff like this (UFF) I haven't had many of them yet but they do interest me.

 

I feel like the session beer movement is being built up as the next big thing, but I don't see it getting that big. I was thinking more breweries emulating Enjoy By freshness. Also agree with the people talking about evolution of IPAs. Belgian IPA's have been a success. IPLs are really good. Brewers will find more beers styles to add hops to in order to create a new "twist" on the IPA.

 

I think the big craft players will start to compete hard on the national stage.

 

Mosaic Hops may be the next huge craze in the hop realm, I am going to go ahead an call it now. I did a Single-Hop pale ale with them and they were fantastic. Hill Farmstead did an (almost) single-hop DIPA with them and it has been received to great praise (Society & Solitude #6). This is especially impressive considering they have not worked with them much, they are very new.

 

The next big thing is gonna have to be something really off the reservation. A friend of mine who brews for a local brew pub just brewed an all wheat ale. It's still in secondary at about 8.5% now. The grain bill is 800 pounds; 650 is wheat, 100 pounds is barley (for color), and 50 is rye to add a little extra flavor (if your consider 50 pounds of rye a little). it may not be the next big thing but I feel like what ever the next big thing is is gonna have to be something really different, like an all wheat beer.

 

wine/beer hybrids. sorry if this was mentioned earlier

 

Two things, both of which are starting to hit the market now and I think will continue to grow. Gluten free beers (I don't care much, but it allows others to partake of this delicious drink) and milk stouts. I've noticed that a lot more breweries have been putting out milk stouts recently, my guess would be because they are very drinkable (esp. for non-hopheads) and appeal to a larger audience. I think within the next couple years we'll see a lot more of both of these types of beers.

 

Sour IPAs (more than just brett)

 

Beer brewed with real Moby's dick (not just some fiber from a book)

 

Instead of water, beer will be brewed using Heady Topper!

 

There is a brewery here in SoCal that just released one that is 75% beer and 25% wine.

 

Bourbon barrel-aged DIPAs with a secondary fermentation with Brett. That comes with a "under the bottle cap" promotion where you have a chance to win something every time you drink a beer.

 

barley wines might also be gaining in popularity.....

 

Two-packs

 

Two thoughts...

1) Sour IPAs. Several people have mentioned it and I really hope it happens, the Mikkeller/To Øl Ov-ral wild yeast IPA is one of the most memorable beers of my life.

2) Big lagers. Heavily hopped lagers are started to appear and maybe we'll see a resurgence in doppelbock/eisbock variations... sour/barrel aged lagers?

 

Sou

I would dedintely like to try a beer like this but damn that sounds terrible to brew. That grain bill equals 4 stuck mashes and a 4+ hour runoff. Wheat and rye are unforgiving as shit. Still sounds tasty though

 

Ipa's served in a french press. Choose your fresh dry hop. Damn I could have been a star!

 

Eisbock and Rauchbier (or smoked beer in general).

And also smoked eisbocks.

 

Session brews and rum barrel aging.