theheadonthedoor
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2012
- Messages
- 132
- Reaction score
- 11
What do you think is the next big trend in beer?
Let's be obvious here and point out that northeast style IPAs are already amongst us in a very big way. Maybe not every brewery has made one yet in the way they have say a barrel-aged beer or a sour, but it's getting close. Crazy that some breweries have held out making a sour until now, if at all. Craft lagers are also already amongst us, whether it be hoppy pilsners like PC Pils by Founder's, Hoppy Pilsner by Saint Archer, or Pivo by Firestone Walker (all great, by the way) or Mexican lagers like El Sully by 21st Amendment or Lager Cerveza by Full Sail Session.
Let's just also quickly list all the trends that happened over the last say decade just so we don't get on repeating material instead of streamlining a conversation towards actual trends that have yet to occur. Here we go:
Barrel Aged Beers
Fruit IPAs
Craft Lagers
Sours
Session IPAs
Black IPAs
Northeast Style IPAs
Milk Stouts
And milk stouts barely counts, if at all. I don't remember Lagunitas, New Belgium, or Dogfish Head making a milk stout that was regularly available in my grocery store the way these other trends were.
I also don't consider coffee-infused beers, pumpkin beers, or beers with weirder flavors so much a trend as it is just slight extensions of other ones. This could be argued.
So where are the actual trends going? When we look back in a decade, what will be the standouts that almost no one could predict?
What's really even left? The answer: a lot.
Between Kolschs, Gin Barrel Aged Beers, session stouts, Eisbocks, Ryewines, Sparkling Ales, and Sahtis, just to name a very few, there's lots left to explore.
I honestly think it's naive to think we are at a saturation point for hops. If anything, we should be thinking of what styles have yet to be hopped.
Hoppy Piwo Gradiskie
Dry Hopped Oud Bruin
Maybe not those. I think that hops and smoked malt sound awful together. But then again, I wouldn't think coffee and hops could work, and yet coffee IPAs are delicious. Maybe it would taste like a campfire. Charred wood and fresh pine mixed might actually work. Regardless, I think smoked beers have a huge potential.
For me, I would love to see hoppy saisons and grisettes gain popularity. The few I've had have been absolutely outstanding! Nice juicy citrusy hops mixed with bright french saison character and even some brett to push the flavors of pineapple to the forefront. I'm really surprised this hasn't already taken off.
If not these, I think that barrel aged beers that use other alcohols other then whiskey/bourbon/scotch are intriguing. Like using rum, tequila, or even more wine barrels.
What about scotch ales? Maybe the flavorfulness of the malty scotch ale can quench our thirst for flavor that hops have for so long provided.
What do you think?
Sidenote: Other annoying things:
If basically none of the top like 20+ pale ales have only Cascade hops, then why are so many breweries making their pale ales with just Cascade hops. I get that many have been doing it forever and have a dedicated client base, many are just riding the coattails of the success of those original ones, and some may be wanting to pay respect in this way, but they have to know it's only going to work for so long.
Next, if most all IPAs now are above 6% (lots more above 7%), and almost all session beers are below 5%, where does that leave IPAs that range from 5-6%? That's a great range! What should they be called?
Thanks for any input. I'd love to stay ahead of the curve.
Let's be obvious here and point out that northeast style IPAs are already amongst us in a very big way. Maybe not every brewery has made one yet in the way they have say a barrel-aged beer or a sour, but it's getting close. Crazy that some breweries have held out making a sour until now, if at all. Craft lagers are also already amongst us, whether it be hoppy pilsners like PC Pils by Founder's, Hoppy Pilsner by Saint Archer, or Pivo by Firestone Walker (all great, by the way) or Mexican lagers like El Sully by 21st Amendment or Lager Cerveza by Full Sail Session.
Let's just also quickly list all the trends that happened over the last say decade just so we don't get on repeating material instead of streamlining a conversation towards actual trends that have yet to occur. Here we go:
Barrel Aged Beers
Fruit IPAs
Craft Lagers
Sours
Session IPAs
Black IPAs
Northeast Style IPAs
Milk Stouts
And milk stouts barely counts, if at all. I don't remember Lagunitas, New Belgium, or Dogfish Head making a milk stout that was regularly available in my grocery store the way these other trends were.
I also don't consider coffee-infused beers, pumpkin beers, or beers with weirder flavors so much a trend as it is just slight extensions of other ones. This could be argued.
So where are the actual trends going? When we look back in a decade, what will be the standouts that almost no one could predict?
What's really even left? The answer: a lot.
Between Kolschs, Gin Barrel Aged Beers, session stouts, Eisbocks, Ryewines, Sparkling Ales, and Sahtis, just to name a very few, there's lots left to explore.
I honestly think it's naive to think we are at a saturation point for hops. If anything, we should be thinking of what styles have yet to be hopped.
Hoppy Piwo Gradiskie
Dry Hopped Oud Bruin
Maybe not those. I think that hops and smoked malt sound awful together. But then again, I wouldn't think coffee and hops could work, and yet coffee IPAs are delicious. Maybe it would taste like a campfire. Charred wood and fresh pine mixed might actually work. Regardless, I think smoked beers have a huge potential.
For me, I would love to see hoppy saisons and grisettes gain popularity. The few I've had have been absolutely outstanding! Nice juicy citrusy hops mixed with bright french saison character and even some brett to push the flavors of pineapple to the forefront. I'm really surprised this hasn't already taken off.
If not these, I think that barrel aged beers that use other alcohols other then whiskey/bourbon/scotch are intriguing. Like using rum, tequila, or even more wine barrels.
What about scotch ales? Maybe the flavorfulness of the malty scotch ale can quench our thirst for flavor that hops have for so long provided.
What do you think?
Sidenote: Other annoying things:
If basically none of the top like 20+ pale ales have only Cascade hops, then why are so many breweries making their pale ales with just Cascade hops. I get that many have been doing it forever and have a dedicated client base, many are just riding the coattails of the success of those original ones, and some may be wanting to pay respect in this way, but they have to know it's only going to work for so long.
Next, if most all IPAs now are above 6% (lots more above 7%), and almost all session beers are below 5%, where does that leave IPAs that range from 5-6%? That's a great range! What should they be called?
Thanks for any input. I'd love to stay ahead of the curve.