Beverage Dynamics

Beverage Dynamics July-Aug 2014

Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.

Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/346136

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 26 of 51

www.beveragedynamics.com July/August 2014 • Beverage Dynamics 27 Crafting Profi ts sotted Portland, OR. In a city where craft beer outsells mainstream beer and more experimental breweries fi nd a welcome, she observes "IPAs are still king. I've actually had conversations with many new breweries that have opened around here lately and have said, 'Well, you know, we weren't going to brew an IPA, but then we had to.' But why would somebody not start with an IPA? Do they think there are too many out there?" Apparently not. Such is their popularity that breweries are grafting "IPA" onto an ever-expanding roster of beers: black IPAs, white IPAs, red IPAs, Belgian IPAs and lower alcohol "session IPAs." The biggest sellers come from the big regional brewers: Sierra Nevada Torpedo, New Belgium Ranger, Lagunitas IPA, and the new Samuel Adams Rebel IPA. Among those with more limited distribu- tion, IPAs from Hill Farmstead Brewery, Surly, Russian River, Bell's or Firestone Walker have passionate supporters. Also popular are "styles" that aren't really styles, but which are meaningful categories for retailers: seasonal beers and variety packs, with the former appealing to beer drinkers' love of novelty and the latter to the convenience of picking up a range of beer choices in one single package. The volume growth of craft beer refl ects more established tastes, but it is nourished by the enthusiasm of the most devoted beer geeks; there are big producers who can cater to a broad range of palates, and small specialty companies with rare beverages and big price tags. In recent years, the buzz has been about sour or wild-fermented beers, and the barrel-aging that can promote such tart fl avors or impart to the beer the character of the beverage previously stored in the barrel. Many breweries large and small experiment with barrels — New Belgium's La Folie launched the trend, and Samuel Adams is an active player. But one new Berkeley, CA, brewery has made sour beers its exclusive focus. The founders of The Rare Barrel realize that sours will always be a niche interest, and embrace the fact. "For us, this project was unique because sour beer is well-loved by the most extreme beer geeks, but it's hard to fi nd and no one has dedicated themselves to it exclusively," brewer Jay Goodwin acknowledged. "So, while we did constrain ourselves by brewing all-sour, we like to say that constraint breeds creativity." Another talked-about trend is notable for its almost mundane nature: the move to "session" beers of low alcoholic power, generally under 4.5%. After years of increasing infatuation with ever stronger, ever more eccentric beers, session beers promise full — but not crazy — fl avor at a strength that allows the drinker to enjoy several over the course of an evening. Notch Brewing in Massachusetts is devoted entirely to session beer—an interesting parallel to the sour-only approach of Rare Barrel. Other breweries have added a session beer to their portfolio. Beer writer Lew Bryson, who is widely associated with support for session beer, notes that All Day IPA from Michigan's Founders Brewing Co. has "done so well that they made it their year-round fl agship, which is astonishing for a brewery with the big beer rep of Founders." Odell's in Colorado has moved their Loose Leaf American Session Ale from seasonal to year-round production. Marketing and brand manager Amanda Johnson-King says, "It was a style that was missing from out portfolio, which many of our cus- tomers and fans and co-workers were asking for. Loose Leaf is dry-hopped, delicate but with a good malt backbone and delicate citrus characteristics." The session trend seems to sum up much about what is really happening in craft beer today: the drinking public is cooling on mainstream light lagers, and many will be intrigued but not won over by the more experimental fringe of craft beer. Can session craft beer — full of malt and hop fl avor, but highly drinkable — be- come the functional replacement for tired old light lager? BD California-based Lagunitas, one of the fastest- growing regional craft brewers, is opening a Chicago facility to help fulfi ll the demand for its brands such as Imperial Red and Maximus India Pale Ale. As it grows in popularity, Colorado-based Oskar Blues is also opening a second plant in North Carolina to handle the demand for unique beers such as Old Chub Nitro Scotch Ale. Odell's in Colorado has moved its Loose Leaf American Session Ale from seasonal to year-round production, refl ecting the growing trend in session brews. Stone Brewing just released its heavily hopped Stone Ruin Ten IPA. JULIE JOHNSON is contributing editor and co-owner of All About Beer magazine.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Beverage Dynamics - Beverage Dynamics July-Aug 2014