Over the weekend I had my first Berliner Weissbier (Funky Buddha at 7venth Sun Brewery) and I really enjoyed it. Can anyone comment on what they typically see as a shift in beer style preferences for craft fans? For example lager > stouts > IPAs, etc. *Shot out to the four guys who came down from Philly for Hunaphu and to whomever brought the maple laced bacon to the Hunaphu Hangover party at 7venth Sun this past Sunday.
I don't think there is one constant shift for all craft beer drinkers. I'd bet it's fairly common for people to go all over the place with styles and preference. I'm sure a lot of this is environmental (whats available in your area) For me, it started with something as simple as hefs / wheat and I moved on to pale ales and then to IPAs. From there, I've been all over the place (stout to sour to ESB to belgian, etc). I've noticed quite a few of my friends have gone from BMC -> Pale -> IPA -> Sour -> Stouts (but not necessarily in this order). I've also known a few people who started out with Porters / Stouts and have eventually moved their way towards more bitter beers.
For me I started with more malt forward beers especially porters and marzens. Transitioned to hoppy beers once I had my first fresh IPA, then actually started getting into hefeweizen, golden belgian ales, witbiers, and berliner weisses. This past summer I started really appreciating a good pilsner and unfiltered lager. I still really like all these styles, I just get into certain styles in waves then when I revisit a style I have not had in a while I remember why I was so fixated on them for a time.
Im not sure if beer is trending in one direction or another but more of a "branching out." Weather its comming up with a completely new style of beer or going to a historic method of brewing. People are always looking for something more and something different so I think the relm of beers will continue to just expand.
