Post-Haze Craze Era

Honestly, I think that the production has just gone up to catch up to the hype. And by that I don't mean specifically that Tree House and Trillium have hugely increased production, but that their increase AND the fact that so many more breweries are producing comparable beer in the last few years (Fox Farm, New Park, Counterweight, Tribus, Lock City, plus increased variety and availability from Beer'd ... just naming CT IPA focused breweries. Obviously there are plenty more examples in other NE states plus the number of NY breweries readily available in New England now (particularly Singlecut going to cans and Industrial Arts crossing the border).

 

Interesting topic to think about.

In addition to what Ednose said above, I think that period of time is just generally going to turn out to have been a pretty unique moment. You had a tripling of the number of breweries, the rise of social media culture, the switch to more affordable/transportable cans instead of bombers, and the NE IPA offering a more accessible twist on an already pretty dominant style.

Whenever the day comes that the number of breweries is stagnant or decreasing instead of increasing is probably the day we'll start to really see 'what's next'.

 

Remember how people used to line up for the new iPhone every year? It's not like no one likes smart phones anymore, we just all got used to them. And the difference between the latest greatest and what you already have continues to be less exciting. I don't think the style is going anywhere, but you can only maintain that level of enthusiasm for so long.

 

It was a perfect storm in that this type of beer was starting to be produced at a time when the taproom and takeaway beer laws around New England got more lax. While not usually a low alcohol beer, NEIPAs are sessionable by nature. People aren't going to load up on cases of a super bitter IPA, porter or red ale which were more the speed of some of the flagships from the last generation of breweries.

Now that the faucets have been open for a number of years, the consumption curve is settling back to normal and you aren't going to see another Tree House or Trillium break ground on a huge facility for quite some time. Crazy expansion will become the exception and not the rule for NEIPA producers, but the brewers who produce better product will continue to make profits and steadily expand.

There is money to be made in the alcohol industry in general and the general population has been trending away from beer, so I am curious where the "next big thing" is. Around my backyard, I have seen both a winemaker and spirits maker start brewing beer as well as a brewer start making spirits. They can then take advantage of the intermingling of their offerings and drive taproom business to cater to different customers.

 

It’s called weed man...

 

I don't know if the popularity is trending downwards as much as outwards. There are SO MANY options out there and many shelfies/local spots have gotten within reach of the most famous hop houses out there with the added benefit of no waits. Plus, as others have said, production has increased across the board. I remember my first time waiting for Swish (2017) I got there 90 minutes early and the line was about 3 blocks down the road. Last year same plan and the line didn't make it all the way to the parking lot. This year, same thing, I was about the 10th person there. I feel mixed; really enjoy walking in and out for these releases and having such great access, but kind of like when your favorite TV show has good-but-not-great ratings, you start to worry whether it will get "cancelled" at some point in the near future...

 

Maine beer co, tree house, bissell and trillium have all expanded and maximized their economies of scale allowing them produce more so since there's rarely anymore sells out in an hour beer, people dont need to wait in the line. But when the next great tree house come around with a brewery the size of Monson, those lines will happen again for sure. Just need the new wave of elite breweries to come in

 

Prob Vitamin Sea right?

 

I don’t see a new wave of elite breweries coming in barring some new beer trend coming out that they pioneer. How can the haze beers be taken to a “next level” from where they are now? The market is just so saturated and hard to separate yourself at this point.

 

-access is no longer exclusive at the top tier breweries
-haze has become so pervasive that it is bordering on passé
-same for pastry stouts.
-local breweries are favored by those who have them in their respective towns
-don’t see a new craze happening at the recipe level, more likely as what breweries offer in terms of experience: taproom, grounds, food, entertainment, tours, events, community connections, and location: (proximity to a cool town i.e. Portland, Burlington; or outdoor activities i.e. hiking, skiing, farms, etc.).

 

Clearly, duh.

 

Yes that would be the one.. They worship Bissell brothers. People will look and buy from smaller hard to buy/find brewer's like Four Quarters.

 

That's not the point-it is what is new and limited- It would shock me if any local players make beer better than tree house, but people will chase the next "it".

 

Totally disagree. New and limited don’t matter if what a brewery is pumping out is not vastly different or superior compared to other offerings out there. Trillium, Tree House, and others were essentially able to catch lighting in a bottle because of talent and luck. I just don’t see it happening again any time soon.

 

You don't instagram much do you? For the record, I agree that what you say should be true, but it isn't. Plenty of breweries are releasing four packs north of 20 bucks and selling out in one day without having near the street cred as Tree House. Is it sustainable? Who knows, but haze craze is still rolling.

 

FQ pretty readily available on shelves in MA.

 

How about breweries who emphasize fermentation character-flavor structure and crescendo of flavor experience. When did mouthfeel (in the eyes of the consumer) trump fermentation character? Yes, I agree...its a very competitive market...but I still taste a lot of blown out, watered down, thick, turbid fruity hoppy beers. For my palate, its just not what I want to drink. What's the post haze craze?...its the full circle return to those who were there from the beginning...and (in my opinion) doing it right...SN, RR, HF. Just my opinion.

 

HF is in a league of their own. They’ll have no problem surviving whatever is next.

 

Add Fox Farm to this list as well:
They check all the boxes, it’s great to see a taproom where you can look around and see a multitude of styles (done exceptionally well) being enjoyed across patrons.