new trends in 2013

I don't really expect it to be a big thing, but I would love to see more Imperial Reds

 

I'd like to see more blending happen....and crazier blending.

 

I'd definitely be happy if we saw more Imperial Reds and Black IPAs. I'm sure breweries will continue to throw whatever they can into used whiskey barrels, waxing the caps, and charging at the very least $15 for the bottle, and I'm dumb so I'll continue to hunt down and buy these beers.

 

Session Beers
Hoppy Lagers
Collabs
Style Blendings

Cheers!

 

The style specialist brewer, where 90% of the breweries sales will be from one style, rather than the traditional, Amber, Brown, IPA, blonde lineup. I think we'll see more of these.

 

I predict wilds/sours to be the next big thing.

*By "next big thing", I mean in regard to the number of American breweries attempting them, not "next big thing" on BA (it is already)

 

The non-problem of an over-saturation of good (crazy) beer locally in more regions of the country - meaning, being able to try the new brewery down the street's Barrel Aged Imperial Stout and it is great, reducing my need to freak out about some previously famous, in-demand release.

 

Higher prices. More 4 packs. Year-round Lagunitas Sucks.

 

More local breweries in my state of Mississippi and lots of new beers to the state.

 

Shaun Hill shipping Saisons to my house for cost.

 

I also see session beers gaining ground (this year saw an official Untappd badge for Session Day, take that for whatever it's worth). And I'll second that I'd like to see some more style blending going on.

 

Regretfully for you my friend I have locked in that account. Cheers though. And who knows, I may need to share!

 

In my area i would like to see CCB Cider and Mead takeoff and get creative. And down in S. FL. Funky Buddha with their expanded facility being built will hopefully be able to get some distribution going and share some of their fine products with more of us.

 

As much as I hate it, more six pack beers switching to the four pack format.

 

More wine barrel aging.

 

LOTA aka lactic only tart ales or hybrid versions of berliner weisse or maybe QSOS - quickly soured one-dimensional sessionables

meaning berliners or other seasionable ales that are not brewed in the traditional sense but instead modified in some way technically or procedurally that will allow for them to be produced in an easier/faster fashion to fit better into production schedules

see also:
-souring of wort prior to fermenting
-squirting food grade acid blends into the boil and/or serving tank/bottles

 

In a perfect world, one trend would be to stop expanding distribution without expanding production.

 

Beers meant for combination.

Kind of like how well a Victory Hop Devil and Storm King (making a Dark Devil) go so well together. same yeast strain. Same with Storm king and Golden Monkey.

Also, im thinking a lot more whiskey barrel aging, since I think a lot more breweries will be making their own whiskey on top of beer.

 

I've been hoping for a while that a well-priced, widely-available brewery like Sierra Nevada would make a sixer of a Belgian pale table beer.