CHEERS WITH AMERICAN CRAFT BEERS TO MUM THIS MOTHER’S DAY

International Women’s Day on 8th March Mothers’ Day on 22nd March

Many women are becoming beer connoisseurs and partial to the unrivalled flavour spectrum of beer and its natural affinity with food. But with a plethora of beer styles on the market how do you choose beers that both your male and female customers will enjoy and keep coming back for more?

In America, the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association representing small and independent American craft brewers, conducts an annual survey looking at trends within the American craft beer industry. Respondents were asked which beer flavours they were interested in and these included crisp, juicy/ hazy, dark, malty, hoppy, spicy (yeasty) and tart. Crisp is trending as the dominant flavour with steady growth over the last five years.

Crisp holds interest among all beer drinkers, both male and female, from those who drink daily to those who only indulge several times a year. Crisp is also the most popular flavour among all age groups.

Crisp encompasses beers that are light-bodied, usually golden in colour with little bitterness and a clean, snappy finish such as Helles lagers, or pilsners. They offer the perfect partner for a food dish such as fish and chips. The high level of carbonation will cut through the high fat content of the batter and scrub the palate clean leaving the mouth refreshed and ready for the next bite.

However, IPAs remain the dominant beer style in America accounting for approximately one third of the craft beer market. A category formerly marked by high bitterness is now inviting a new and growing segment of beer drinkers seeking less bitter, juicier, and hazy profiles in addition to the classic American IPA. The wide flavour spectrum of IPAs make them ideal for pairing with many different food dishes from burgers, ribs and sausages to Sunday roasts, apple pie and a cheeseboard.

Whether your Mothers’ Day customers are ardent hop-heads or have never touched a drop of beer in their lives, there’s an opportunity for incremental sales from new beer and food pairing experiences.

American craft beer is available through national wholesalers or on line from Athletic Brewing, or the Cascade Club Chefs and restauranteurs are invited to make use of the free resources available on www.brewersassociation.org or www.craftbeer.com