What's the big trend on the craft beer scene at the moment?

session brews!

 

I think session beers are coming around.

I don't think IPL's will have anywhere near the same run as IPA's and DIPA's.

 

Calling anything hoppy an ipa seems to be the one that is the most rampant right now.

 

Berliners are so hot right now.

 

This year was the summer of Saison, and as a whole the industry embraced the ridiculous notion of "imperial"-izing every style imaginable. Now I'd wager we'll see a shift back to lighter, more quaffable brews as brewers try to cash in on the burgeoning market of macro converts.

 

Agreed.

I guess I view this differently than most, many seem to be rather irritated with the practice. IPA is such a ubiquitous term that it makes for an excellent descriptor. BAs are a very small part of the craft customer base, using the IPA descriptor is an excellent way for a brewery to label a beer and give the masses a clearer understanding regarding the contents.

IPLs or hoppy lagers may be more prominent than they once were but I do not see them becoming a significant trend. If a brewery is not making any lagers now I do not think they are going to start simply to brew a hoppy lager.

 

Whales bro.

 

been seeing a lot of hard ciders lately at craft festivals and in the distributors...i hate them theyre too sweet...not really an answer to the craft BEER scene question by the OP but since they go hand in hand w them at festivals i wanna see if anyone is noticing it too

 

Ciders and Meads are picking up steam. I would not write ciders off as being too sweet just yet, there are a number of rather dry ciders out there that are pretty tasty.

 

Big Steins.

 

I agree that IPL, saison, cider and mead are picking up a lot of steam. I am seeing and hearing a lot of posts/discussions out and about for these. I am shocked how many people used to turn their noses up at bretted and other funky stuff that then tried them after doing the hoppy thing only to start liking them. I try to ease people in with stuff like Ommegang Hennepin and that Saison DuPont Cuvee' when I can find it. I am shocked at how much I like the funky stuff now. I am actively seeking Sumpin' Sumpin Wild and some other stuff in my visits to the local purveyor along these lines. Now, if I can just find an Imperial Sparkling Cider...

 

Red IPAs?

 

Higher prices

 

Biggest trend is to packaging and converting to cans and 4 pks vs 6ers. Higher margins right off the top, when you get less beer for the same money.

 

There are a great many excellent dry ciders. I'm amazed that the sour and funk crazy zealots all over these pages don't glom all atop the great E. Dupont ciders. Original, beautiful concoctions!

 

9L bottles.

Small batch beer, ginormous bottles.

Can I still get a case?

Ba dum tshhhhh

 

I think, to be fair, we should clarify who is profiting off of 6pk to 4pk shifts. Many breweries are maintaining their case price, are not making any more money off the switch. Distributors are likely the ones making out on this.

 

pumpkin beers. sales of that style were up over 20% from last year. no surprise why were seeing more

 

I've seen a lot of wheat beers and saisons. Everyone seems to be doing one of these.

 

Barrel. Saisons. Sours. Yeasts are making a come back. I just reluctantly rediscovered stouts after decades of ipas.

 

But I do think they will be more successful than White IPAs.

 

I don't like White IPA's, and the only Black IPA I thought was 1st rate is Stone Sublimely Self Righteous. The rest I've tried, are more burnt malt and barley, just awful stuff. Even HF Black IPA I could take or leave, was that Raymond?

 

Good question! One thing I'm starting to see (in addition to the increase in the number of session brews and canned craft as mentioned in earlier posts) are ``Americanized Saisons'' like those from Stillwater and Prairie. They brew Saisons with American malt, yeast, and especially hops, giving them a citrusy flavor that one doesn't usually find in traditional interpretations. Some of them are barrel-aged too, making them refreshingly sour.

By the way, this is one fad that I'd like to see really take off!

 

Tropical fruit flavors. The base beers and their traditions are secondary, so long as they serve as a vehicle for these flavors. First it was IPAs, then IPLs, then Saisons, and now Berliners -- all packed full of mango, pineapple, citrus flavors. If true session beers ever come into favor among U.S. beer geeks, rest assured it will be because someone found a way to pack a shitload of tropical fruit flavors into them.

 

In Scotland its craft type beer becoming mainstream at the expense of the same old same old. Had I not witnessed it myself I wouldn't have believed it.

 

I don't think IPL's will become nearly as popular, but I wouldn't mind it! One of my favorite styles.

 

That's the last big trend I noticed. I just wonder if it'll last into the colder weather

 

That would be the trend on this site, not the trend in craft beer.

 

Humulus Lager from The Bruery is an amazing representation of the IPL style.

 

You mean Tennent's?

 

Maybe in California not in NJ.

 

Sours/Wild Ales, Saisons, IPAs/IIPAs, Barrel Aging and Session Ales. Seems to be how things are going.

 

I want to see more gin barrel aged beers! Two breweries in Portland have done it with super delicious results (Upright: Special Herbs, Tom Gin Blend and De Garde: Banks, Cran Bu Weisse, Mulligan)

Anybody see this happening anywhere else?

 

Berliners and other sour/wild beers.
IPLs will trend a bit, but I don't see anyone getting too excited over them.
Fruited imperial stouts are something I see getting popular soon as well

 

Won't happen much because most gin isn't barrel aged.

 

Yeah it's good to see more of the newer restaurants and bars offering a better range

Now we need most of those pubs with one or two token hand pulls offering something other than Deuchars and one of the other nondescript cally offerings.

 

Trend is a bad term to use. At this point the popularity of sours and IPAs are will established, they are maintaining their status more than they are trending in any direction at all. People give too much credit to the BA community, we are a rather small portion of the customer base, our opinions are usually not indicative of the feelings of the community as a whole.

 

Beers are sold by distributors to retailers at a price per case determined by a standard markup from cost. The number of units within each case is irrelevant to the selling price. In other words, a case is a case no matter how you slice it. If anything, the retailers stand to profit because they are the ones who break cases down into smaller units for sale.

 

"Decades of IPAs" sounds like a great title, an episode of Downton Abbey? 30+ years ago, I remember Red Cap Ale as a hoppy, bitter thing. Stouts are like pound cake and lovely.