My Thoughts on Craft Beer Trends to Look Out For in 2013

Earlier this week I came up this article in Westword, Denver's alternative publication. The title of the article is "Eight Craft Beer Trends to Look for in Colorado in 2013". While I know this article covers a state I don't even reside in, I think it's a good outline of what we have to look out for this year nationwide. So I'm just going to go over all eight points, because I have a blog and my voice deserves to be heard...blarghhh!!!

1. Limited Distribution Packaging - As newer breweries are popping up a a day-to-day basis, we are starting to see a trend in local packaging options, like mobile canning. While it's not something I expect to see much of in NYC, due to the nanny state's hand in regulating the packaging for all this beer, it seems to be something catching on out west. As much as it would be nice to be able to hit up my local bodega and pick up a Pegas-filled growler of Kelso or Singlecut rather than hunt a keg down on Beer Menus, I don't see it happening I'm BK anytime soon. As with the rest of the country...bring it in on. If you have quality product, control the distribution rather than relying on bars alone.

2. Nanobreweries and Microbreweries - What can I say? Four breweries have opened up in Queens over the last 2 months alone, with more to follow all around the NYC Metro area. Don't even get me started on Long Island. I say bring it on. Local drinking is still supporting a localized economy. Maybe the amount of breweries will hit a critical mass, who knows? Not everybody is going to be putting out a quality product, so let the market make and break the new kids on the block. As far as I'm concerned, the more the better when it comes to beer.

3. AC Golden's next big hit - I really don't have much to say about the craft wing of MillerCoors, apparently they are putting out some really awesome beers. AC Golden doesn't really affect our market...yet. I find the recent trend of the Big Guys ploy to grab at the craft market mildly despicable, I also understand that they feel threatened by a culture that is growing a phenomenal rate. I may be a beer geek, but I'm not a snob. I'll try any beer once, even if its produced by one of the Macros. Continuous support is another story all together, unless the options are limited or funds are limited(I'm looking at you, Yuengling)

4. Pelletized Hops - Again, I probably don't have much to say about this since NY isn't exactly a hops growing region. Although the guys over at Bronx Brewery have created the Urban Hops Project, which sets up growing operations in neighborhood gardens am backyards across the city. Everyone loves terroir these days. I don't know how the Bronx locally grown are going to hold up to those coming out of the PNW, I must still tip my hat to the Project.

5. Low ABV Beer - I used to swear by brew that ran no less than 6% ABV. Last year I had the joy of having Carton Boat Beer, New Jersey's Finest session IPA. Since then, the session IPA has become more of a trend, and I embrace it. Quality session beers are something we have all been missing. Why choke down a sixer of PBR at a BBQ when I could have something that tastes a hell of a lot better with similar effect. Quality session beers is what the craft beer world has been missing. I can't wait to see what summer of 2013 produced.

6. Craft beer Co-ops - As I send before, bring on more. Who cares if it's the dream of a single person or the collective love of a group. The ideas of a collective can trump that of a single mind most of the time, so just think of the beer that comes out of such a braintrust.

7. Trademark battles - unfortunately, this is something that will continue to affect every market, no matter how different the copyrights are. Whether it be for the name of a shop compared to that or a brewery, or a beers designated label name verse the name used by a budding brewery, this is a trend that isn't going away anytime soon. Welcome to modern day capitalism and lawyer up!

8. Oversaturation or Undersaturation? - I don't want to talk about it. As of last year, we now have just as many, or more, breweries in America than we did before Prohibition. I for one, dream of a day where there are taprooms in every neighborhood, but that's not going to happen. Lets just see how the current trend develops and not come to any conclusions.

Well that was slightly exhaustive, so lets end this on a slightly lighter note, like a vintage Stroh's commercial.





- Get Straight to the Pint