What will be the next style to explode, and why?

If by explode you mean to reach the dizzy heights of a 2% market penetration (which is where IPA stands) then the history of fashion suggests a retreat from extremes. Nothing went out of date so quickly as flared trousers and kipper ties. We will soon see queues of people waiting to have their tattoos removed.Perhaps people will remember that beer is for drinking not sipping or collecting.
And if people do, then the breweries will be selling a lot more beer.

 

Hoppy lagers.

 

I think your idea is 1 1/2 years late to the party. At least with the people I discuss beer with.

 

On the homebrew forums everyone is souring every style. I find it annoying. Can't afford to buy all separate equipment just to bug my beer, dunno if I want to either. Ugh!

 

In-Bev or Miller/Coors figure out a manufacturing model for mass producing several excellent or world class sours/wild ales/double IPAs/IS's/Pale Ales all for <$10 a 6 pack. Craft breweries crash. Evil thoughts...such evil thoughts.

 

I hope it's going to be good and clean beer. Having a terribly hard time finding any at the local breweries.

 

Don't buy separate equipment, just stop making clean beers. Wild beers are more fun.

 

In Belgium Barrel Aged beers.

The concept was like unknown & considered insane by most a couple of years ago.
Only a handful of breweries were doing it.
At a recent festival I saw BA offerings by like 20 different breweries.
Now I have seen 5 different BA offerings advertised at a local supermarket for Christmas.
BA appears to be fully associated with Christmas beers & offerings now for whatever reason.
Next Christmas, we should see even more.

 

cheese beer.

 

Maybe i feel this way because I haven't tried a good sour (to my knowledge) yet. Don't know what all the fuss is about. I'm having to much fun brewing extract to get into all-grain let alone wild beers.....yet. Maybe someday after Powerball or Mega Millions comes calling!

 

that may be happening in the boston area right now.