Brewing in Changing Times

BY DAVID NUTTALL

Step into any grocery or

liquor store and you will notice that the beverage world seems to be in a constant state of flux, with beer as a leading contender for the product that seems to have transformed the most in this century.

With thousands of breweries opening worldwide in the past twenty years, mostly in North America, the ground is fertile for a brewing revolution. Alberta joined in rather late, but certainly made up for lost time in the past half-decade or so. Change does not come without its growing pains, and numerous events in that time which have thrown both established and new breweries more than one curve ball.

In the past couple of articles, we touched upon how the public's demand for beer has created alterations in the supply chain not only for basic ingredients but also throughout the whole brewing and delivery process. Government legislation, inflation, external forces and events (some related to COVID, some not) have further affected brewers and other producers in the beverage industry. As society slowly returns to normal, several factors are all coming into play at once, and it will be interesting to see what transpires for breweries in 2023 and beyond.

The Proliferation of Variety

While the public now seeks breweries that produce a wide variety of beers, not all visitors to taprooms are beer drinkers. So, within licensing limitations, breweries are now also expected to provide hard sodas/seltzers/teas (RTDs), soft drinks, and possibly cider. To that end, brewers have either formed collaborations with other producers, or have created their own products.

This is forcing breweries to go far beyond where most 20th century breweries ever went. The Ready-toDrink (RTD) category alone has its own special set of rules. There are several different varieties of RTDs, and they can range from vodka sodas to prepackaged cocktails. Since the category didn’t really come into its own until 2019, it has a non-existent track record. What works best in any market is usually up in the air. While sales are still increasing in solid double digits this year, its has begun to slow down (from triple digit growth) of the previous three years. Whether a brewery makes their own (as a maltbased product), gets a distillery license, or collaborates with a distillery; all involve capital and expertise. While it seems obvious that all breweries

The Future is Now!

should provide these products, most are not ready to go there yet.

Getting to what breweries do best, guessing what to brew for a vacillating public is not easy. Yes, the IPA category is strong, but the Hazy/NEIPA seems to have usurped the West Coast IPA in popularity. Just this year, a new contestant has entered the fray; the Cold IPA. Sours are now ubiquitous, but many tend to be fruited, so which one do you pick? Any of guava, passion fruit, mango, or the current favourite, yuzu; all have had their moment in the sun. Whether to brew wild fermented beers and/or create a blending program of aged beers or just make kettle sours is another question. Even though it can be expensive and time consuming, expect more barrel aged and specialty beer to hit the market.

Craft breweries have rediscovered lager and are providing an interesting alternative to those still clinging to mass-

produced macro beers. These “new” iterations are exposing people to just how diverse lager can be, with German and Bohemian Pilsners leading the way. Indeed, lagers reflecting those beers familiar to many as representing Mexican, Japanese, and Eastern European styles are also being recreated in these breweries. Add in Vienna, black and amber lagers, Doppelbocks, Helles, and these centuries old varieties seem modern to the nescient craft beer drinker.

Changes In Processes

This is probably the most difficult thing for breweries (and the public) to deal with as we move forward. The effects of climate change have had consequences on the availability of ingredients (including water) and other factors have created concerns involving the distribution network, staffing, basic supplies, and a profusion of other issues.

Regarding ingredients, barley and hop availability are crucial to any brewery’s operation. The 2021 western Canadian barley production was over one-third lower than 2020 (at time of writing, the figures for the 2022 harvest were not available). Too many hot and dry summers could prove catastrophic. Hops are being planted in multiple areas around the planet, but their viability for commercial brewing is not guaranteed. Hop production set a record in the American northwest in 2021, but here the issue has become shifting climate zones and wildfire smoke. Areas in the south are becoming too hot and dry, so planting moves to the north. To help combat this, new bittering agents, developed from other natural sources such as grape skins, are being tested as replacements for hops. Other synthesized products can also replace fruit as an ingredient in beer.

So where does this lead as we head into 2023? There are too many moving parts to predict a straight path; it looks more like a spider’s web. However, you will continue to see craft beer grow, brewers explore more beer varieties and other products, new breweries to open, and the public to become even more attached to the convenience and atmosphere of what a local brewery brings to a community.

David has worked in liquor since the late 1980s. He is a freelance writer, beer judge, speaker, and since 2014, has run Brew Ed monthly beer education classes in Calgary. Follow @abfbrewed.

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