All things Light, Bright and Beautiful by Jamie Cook

All things light, bright and beautiful

WITH THE SUMMER IN FULL SWING IN AUSTRALIA, BEER DRINKERS WILL BE REACHING FOR THEIR BEER OF CHOICE IN SEARCH OF REFRESHMENT.

Words Jamie Cook

We have seen across all alcohol categories a shift towards drinks that are lighter and brighter in style; a trend amplified during the long hot summer.

While lagers have traditionally been a goto for refreshment in the category, the rise of Australian pale ales and summer ales in recent years is driven by consumers attracted by highly aromatic, low bitter beers.

Pale ale represents just under half of the craft segment. Summer ales are now 17% and growing rapidly at 21% Vs LY, and there is the emerging XPA (extra pale ale). The refreshing ale category is where the volume in craft beer now is.

Even after centuries of brewing, modernday brewers are using new techniques or applying contemporary skills and knowledge to traditional methods to produce a new era of beers that are helping beer drinkers look at beer through a fresh lens.

Brewers are discovering new possibilities of deriving flavour through dry-hopping, and the interaction between yeast and hops during and post fermentation. Through a combination of experimentation, creativity, art and science, independent brewers have been at the leading edge of this ‘pushing of the boundaries’.

We seem to be at a critical point in the evolution of beer that is reminiscent of the impact of essential advancements in brewing history.

The ability to understand the amount of fermentable sugars through the use of a hydrometer saw brewers use more pale malts than darker malts and drove brewers to brew pale ales instead of porters in England.

The discovery of bottom-fermenting yeasts led to the rise of lagers and the popularity of lager around the world.

In these modern times, the increased rate of learning and development is massive, and the degree of science and analysis at our disposal allows brewers to look far deeper into the brewing process and explore further possibilities.

Hop growers are also contributing to the evolution by reacting to brewers’ needs through the development of new varieties of hops that provide a greater emphasis on flavour as opposed to the single dimension of bitterness.

We seem to be at a critical point in the evolution of beer that is reminiscent of the impact of essential advancements in brewing history.

In today’s hyper-connected global village that we live in these advancements are driving the evolution of beer as we know it at a rapid rate.

Modern pale ales and summer ales with their hop derived aromatics, hazy appearance, relatively low bitterness, and clean, refreshing finish are developing momentum in the marketplace.

Our local brewers have led the charge on developing these beer styles as being distinctly Australian and have tapped into that global trend for lighter and brighter beverages.

Another emerging trend in today’s market is the rise of sour and fruited sour beers. With these brewers have reached back into brewing history to rekindle the art of brewing beers with a dry, acidic character.

Typically beer is not associated with ‘acid’ and ‘sour’ characters; therefore these beer styles have been living in the far corner of the market firmly in the weird beer box for many years now.

Yet as beer drinkers grow the confidence to try new things and expand their perception of what beer is, we see these beers rise in popularity.

Using techniques and yeast strains throughout fermentation or through “kettle souring” brewers are producing beers with flavours that also tap into the light and bright trend.

Brewers are also developing their skills in balancing those dry, acidic elements with the sweetness from the fruit. There is also a cross-fertilisation of knowledge and skills between brewers, winemakers and distillers emerging. Brewers, for example, are using techniques traditionally the domain of the winemaker or the cidermaker.

Berliner Weisse, a cloudy, sour beer style with three per cent ABV that originated in Northern Germany in the 16th century is being taken to a new level by local brewers. They are creating beers with a delicate balance of acidity, fruit and malt derived sweetness, lower alcohol and dry, refreshing finish.

While still relatively early in their development sour beers represent less than 1% of the craft beer segment but are growing at a massive 600% Vs LY.

These two beer trends are both ideally suited to Australian long hot summers. More beer drinkers are discovering them, and importantly non-beer drinkers are attracted to the category.

The large portion of beer drinkers in Australia has a view that beer is very one dimensional in flavour and “they all taste the same”. However, times are changing, and the local independent brewers who are driving this change are working together to help evolve that perception of beer and tap into the broader trend to lighter and brighter styles of drinks.

The fact that independent brews account for 6% of the market by volume, but 10% by value is a testament to the creativity and value creation they bring to the beer category.

With around 90% of the beer market in the hands of what looks like being two global brewers, it is more important than ever before to get behind our small, local and Independent brewers and work with them rebuild value and excitement in the beer category.

So this summer when it looks like all things lighter and brighter are what drinkers are looking for make sure beer is playing its part.

While still relatively early in their development sour beers represent less than 1% of the craft beer segment but are growing at a massive 600% Vs LY.