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CRAFT BEER: TAPPING INTO TRENDS

Tapping into trends

Trends come and go in craft beer, not only seasonally but year to year. So what craft beer trends should you be making the most of this summer?

LIKE FASHION and food, craft beer styles go through waves of popularity and then make way for others. There are old faithfuls that equate to a little black dress – they’re a timeless classic that will never go out of style. But from year to year, certain styles have their ‘it moment’ and then fall out of favour. While these trends are set by brewers, it’s in the on-premise where they take hold. It’s up to publicans and bar managers to make the most of these trends, and keep patrons happy with the flavours and styles that will keep them coming back for more.

So what will be the styles that will dominate the summer of 2022/23?

The styles to stock

Publicans across the country agree that there are a few brews that will be big this summer: hazy beers, sours and seltzers.

Richard Harrison is the venue manager at the Osbourne Hotel in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. The pub is renowned both state and nation-wide for its beer offering, even being a finalist in this year’s Australian Liquor Industry Awards for Best Beer Venue. Harrison shared his thoughts on what will be big this summer.

“Hazys are definitely still on the up and up, they’re being released left, right and centre across a range of categories - IPAs, lagers, pales - so it really does cater to quite a large audience of beer-drinkers ready to experiment (a little).

The Osbourne Hotel in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

“Obviously last summer seltzers really made a name for themselves and were quick to trend across Queensland, so this year we’re stocking more flavours – although we’re seeing more people lean towards sours over seltzers. Over a quarter of our craft fridges are now stocked with sours to keep up.”

Over in Perth, Joel Baker, venue manager of The Dutch Trading Co. (DTC), agrees that sours will be a big hit.

“It’s the summer of sours! At least that’s what we are pushing, along with a few others throughout the country. We will have a big focus on fruited kettle sours, that fruity refreshing hit that screams sunshine. Berries, guava, pineapple, mango and more,’ states Baker.

“Through this we hope to see a small revival in wild ales also for that spot of more elegance. Lambic and lambic style beers, a beer equivalent to champagne, sparkling, sour and good barrel character. Look for Australian producers like La Sirene, Wildflower, Black Arts, Dollar Bill and 2 Metres Tall.”

Sours will be so big at DTC that the venue has planned a heap of events around the beer style.

Dutch Trading Co has declared this season as the summer of sours

“We will be featuring a strong sourfocused tap list all summer, plus sour tastings, events and dinners, before winding up around March with our annual Wild & Sour event featuring all 22 taps (might be more before then!) of sour, funk and tart-driven beers for a full week.”

Bobby Henry, commercial beverage manager for Australian Venue Co (AVC), also affirms that seltzers will have another big summer.

“Seltzers are growing exponentially and they have over the last couple of years. I feel like this summer will be fairly seltzer-driven, and a lot of the craft brewers are bringing out seltzers, so we’re looking at what options we might implement at AVC in that space.”

Easy drinking

While big, bold beers will always have their place – think full-strength IPAs, DIPAs, and NEIPAs with ABVs of six per cent and up – all three publicans suggested that a return to simpler flavours at mid-strength and even low-alcohol versions are gaining favour, as people focus both on wellness and sessionability.

“There’s definitely been an increase in the number of mid-strength craft options being made available. I think the large brewers have implemented them more broadly over the last few years and the craft guys have really started to pick up on that trend,” suggests Henry.

“For example, the Balter Easy Hazy style of beer, which is a 4% style of hazy pale ale, it’s becoming more popular because they’re more approachable for the general consumer.”

Harrison also suggests the NOLO beers are really gaining some traction, particularly within the craft category.

Sessionability is a big trend influencing AVC’s tap choices this summer

“Another significant trend we’re seeing with craft is that it’s the category of choice for a 0% ABV offering. The craft brands are releasing some really full-flavoured non-alc beers that are absolutely comparable to the booze-infused real deal.”

Sessionability is the big trend, but that doesn’t just come down to ABV. A paring back of bold flavours to your more traditional, crisp beer flavours and styles is also a big part of it. Henry illustrates the point with what he’s seen across AVC.

“[I] wonder whether people are tired of the full-flavouredness and just want to have something simple, or they’re going out and consuming more, and the full-flavored beers, often you can’t consume much volume of.

“We’ve seen a shift away from Balter XPA to Stone & Wood Pacific Ale. People are going to those more approachable styles of beers more often now. Even with Stone & Wood Pacific Ale, which is a really great selling beer for us and a very popular beer obviously, their Green Coast Lager, and its mid-strength version – I’ve seen the sales of that product really increase. It’s just a very basic craft lager. The Green Coast Crisp is a mid-strength and I think that health and wellness element is coming into it as well. I think people are just looking for that sessionability and that simplicity in flavour.”

On the West Coast, Baker is also seeing the return to simpler, more traditional styles of beers.

“There’s also a not so humble (if I have anything to do with it) return to form of all things lager! Crispy beers are so hot right now. Pilsners, Vienna Lagers, Bocks and more. Noble hopped or even receiving a new world hop regime.

Whitelakes 100 Day Pilsner and White Bay Gantry Crane hit Czech vibes, whilst Otherside hits the big tropical vibes with their NZ-hopped Pilsner.”

There are plenty of beer trends for publicans to, ahem, tap into this summer, so catering for your pub’s crowd is a must, as Harrison knows all too well at the Osbourne Hotel.

“Lots of trends, lots of beer to be drunk this Summer, but we’re voting lower ABV & fruity flavours!”

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