Are IPAs becoming less popular?

Founders didn't think so, and All Day enabled them to fund a $40m expansion.

 

No

 

Hopefully

 

I don't necessarily see that either however, me personally, will be putting IPAs on the back burner so to speak. All of 2015 for me was IPAs IPAs IPAs. Looking to expand my horizons more in the new year!

 

I would say no.

 

I would have to say no, in all honesty! I think the hype train just jumps from brewery to brewery. First it was Heady, then it was Fiddlehead/Lawson's, now it's Tree House. Tomorrow it'll be some new up and comer etc.

 

Not for me either, or anybody I know. Bring on the Hopocalypse!

 

If by "becoming less popular" you somehow meant "growing exponentially more popular", than I agree.

 

Now when I walk into my local bars there will be two, maybe three IPAs available on draught, and then fifteen taps of dunkels. Didn't see that coming.

 

My local had a large amount of IPAs for a long period, now with the cold weather there are a couple of IPAs and a large number of higher ABV Belgians.

The Dunkels would be a treat for me.

 

Ha! If that were real it would be amazing.

I am seeing something similar, though, in that there are a handful of IPAs with a nice selection of other styles. Just last night I was able to enjoy a Baltic Porter and a Brett Stout.

 

Supposedly 27.4% of craft beer sold in the US and growing according to the Brewer's Association. So, I'm gonna say...no.
Good article from the association on IPA growth and "the next big thing" here:
https://www.brewersassociation.org/insights/the-next-ipa/

 

If you were to spend your time on this site for a bit, if anything people don't seem to talk about anything else...

In fact if I am even just casually going or stopping at a place, restaurant, there's almost always now an IPA or 2 of SOMETHING... which never used to be the case (this is of course not counting many of the beer centric large tap room bars in the DC area)...

I do like them, but they are not the be all to end all for me of beer styles, I definitely prefer others. Brewers also seem to be caught up in this, and catering to a market and there's just so god dang many of these things...

I'd have to say as an avid reviewer of new beer, the vast majority of new beers I end up having are some IPA or some variant hop forward example of a mellower style. Shelves are full of them, and many new beers are of this style.

Now as far as the general public goes, I am not so certain... I definitely know plenty of people who do not care for these beers at all and never will. But with that being said, trends come and go that's just how things are.

As someone told me there is only one constant thing in life.

and that's change.

beer is no different.

 

https://www.brewersassociation.org/insights/the-next-ipa/

According to the Brewer's Assocation's numbers, I'd say, no.

"In IRI scan data, IPAs accounted for less than 8% of the craft category in 2008 (note: scan data captures off-premise, and so may under represent smaller brewery trends). Today they are 27.4%. That type of share growth would be incredible in a static category, but craft brewing is on pace to have a total volume this year three times larger than it was in 2008. That means if IPAs can finish the year at 27.5%+ craft share, the category would have grown more than 10X its 2008 size, or more than 6 million barrels in absolute growth."



"If anything, these numbers probably underestimate the effect IPAs have had on growth, since in addition to IPAs, we’ve seen a trend toward the IPA-ification of everything: hoppy wheats, hoppy browns, SMASH (single malt and single hop) beers, and more. American brewers seem determined to continually put hops where no hops have gone before. That also includes the fast growing extension to the IPA category, session IPAs."

 

I don't think the question you ask is asked properly, In my opinion its less a question of are IPA's trending down and more one of "are session ales trending up?".

There are still tons and tons of IPA's being released and lots of breweries who have flagship IPA's we still drink IPA's you just here less because we know all about them now, better than before. Session ales one the other hand are the new cool so their getting a lot of attention but that doesn't mean were giving less to good old fashion IPA's it just means were letting different styles share the spotlight.

 

I would love to see more of the less EXTREME beer styles - kolsch, cali common, porters, cream ale, bocks, etc - but now I have tons of session, IPA, DIPA, over hopped, dry hopped, over adjunct everything else in stores by me. I appreciate the few breweries that can still consistently make these proper styles. And the trendy new breweries these days where IPAs make up 80% of what they produce - do not interest me.

 

Stop describing my imaginary dream bar.

 

I'm fairly certain your dream bar exists in Munich.

 

I think it's actually headed in the other direction. IPA's are quicker to make so you can get beers into your customers hands faster.

 

Fixed that a little for you.

(or only in Bavaria.)