Comment | Mindful drinking Are lifestyle brands here to stay, asks the BA

ARE LIFESTYLE BRANDS HERE TO STAY?

AS THE BREWING INDUSTRY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC STARTS TO EMERGE FROM THE PANDEMIC’S VICELIKE GRIP, BOB PEASE, CEO/PRESIDENT OF THE BREWERS ASSOCIATION THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT ASSOCIATION FOR SMALL AND INDEPENDENT AMERICAN CRAFT BREWERS, LOOKS AT WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON, WHAT’S NEW AND WHAT COULD BE NEXT.

Mindful drinking has been sweeping both the food and beverage sectors in recent years and in the beer industry these lifestyle brands are characterised by lower calories, lower carbohydrates, organic and other ‘health’ ingredients.

It’s important to point out that this sector is not new to the beer industry as lighter beer brands have been around for decades touted for their drinkability, but as beer drinkers age, they may be looking for different beer options from their favourite breweries compared to five or 10

years ago. What’s also interesting is the demand features of this segment extend well beyond alcoholic strength. In a survey conducted by Nielsen on behalf of the Brewers Association, we asked craft drinkers which ‘mindful drinking’ choices they were more interested in now compared with a few years ago.

Low ABV, gluten-free and non-alcoholic were at the bottom of the list. The top choices were low calorie, organic and low carb. Craft beer drinkers clearly demonstrated that the number one demand attribute for craft beer is still flavour.

The success or failure of lifestyle brands will only partially revolve around the physical attributes of the brand in question (ie. ABV, carbs, calories etc) but is more likely to be driven by the wider affinity of consumers for the brand. Beer drinkers are looking for a brand to trust just as much as calories on a label – a brewery that only produces barrel-aged imperial stouts, for example, may have a tough job convincing the beer drinker to buy a low calorie, low carb version.

Lifestyle brands that consumers believe in may be here to stay- as beer drinkers evolve so too does their lifestyle and the type of brands they want to fit into them. American craft brewers will need to continue doing what they do so very well – innovating, using bold and experimental ingredients, the latest brewing technology and above all, packing beer with flavour.

The emergence of lifestyle brands is a good example of American craft brewers continuing to innovate and several of these brands are available in the UK and Europe – Sierra Nevada California IPA, a 4.2% ABV light beer hopped with Simcoe, Crystal and Chinook, Oskar Blues One-Y IPA, 4% ABV, a hazy IPA with citrussy flavours of orange peel, tangerine and lemon zest balanced with bread-like malt and presented as a 100-calorie wonder, Ska Aggrolite, a 4.2%ABV IPA that’s light-bodied with slight citrus and pine notes from the use of Cascade, Mandarina Bavaria, and El Dorado hops.

This beer contains only 99 calories and 4g of carbohydrates per can. Over in the States we have Deschutes Wowza! IPA 4% ABV, with Simcoe, Citra and Cashmere hops delivering notes of candied orange and passionfruit while Callista hops bring blackberry notes. It contains only 100 calories and 4g of carbs. Chicory Root adds balance to the body without affecting the calorie count.

Despite the ravages of Covid-19 we expect to see American craft beer continue to make an impact on the global brewing stage as it has done since its inception some 40 years ago and the question of whether lifestyle brands are here to stay is an interesting one.

The simple answer is they never really went away but their longevity will depend on the bonds they build with their drinkers and this will require going beyond trend-chasing.

American craft brewers are likely to continue their relentless innovation that has characterised the market to date albeit with new flavours, recipes and lifestyle connections that are relevant today.

The Brewers Association publishes a wealth of resources to help brewers, importers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers understand and enjoy craft beer, downloadable free of charge from www. brewersassociation.org and available in a variety of languages.

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