Predicting Beer Trends in 2017
- Chris Lee
- Feb 6, 2017
- 4 min read
Predicting trends in beer and brewing is always something fun to talk about. Everyone has their own perspective of what will be hot and what will be a flash in the pan. I have put together a short list of what I believe will be some definitive trends and some long shot predictions. Hope you enjoy.
Sour Beers
First up, Sour Beers! This was inevitable the very second I thought about putting this post together. I will categorize this prediction as beers soured by kettle souring, soured by yeast like Brettanomyces and soured with bacteria like Lactobacillus and Pediococcus. At this point in time, the avid craft beer drinker's palette has evolved beyond the initial bitter hop bomb and is craving something new. Sour beers (or acid beers as I have recently heard of them referred to as) seem like the next logical step in our ever changing quest for new flavour experiences. It is also a true sign of the times when new craft beer bars are beginning to focus their efforts solely on beers that fit this category. For this example, check out the new Birreria in Toronto that has pivoted its famous "House Ales" lineup to feature primarily sour beers.
Sourced Wild Yeast
Terroir is always such a defining characteristic of wine. Why not have some terroir in your beer? If the goal is to take beer in new directions and expand its horizons, capturing wild yeast is nearly uncharted territory on a large scale. I remember an episode of Sam Calagione's Brew Masters, where he and his trusty brewing companion travel to Egypt to capture wild yeast in petrie dishes that they later propagate and use in an experimental brew. I remember thinking just how cool that was how they were able to impart a local terroir into their beer. Brewers often talk about utilizing local ingredients in their beers, so why not use a sourced wild yeast? Are we ready for that? And can it be done in a viable way that creates truly amazing results? I suppose only time will tell at this point. The ball is in your court.
Juicy IPA's
I have yet to actually try a definitive example of this particular style of IPA. This beer is like a ghost around where I currently live in Edinburgh, Scotland. However, all of my favourite beer blogs and writers seem to be mentioning the so called 'Juicy' IPA turning heads at beer festivals and gatherings. In case you have yet to hear of this style, its characterized (from what I can tell, please correct me if I'm wrong) as an extremely, heavy late-hopped, heavy dry hopped IPA that focuses on tropical flavoured hops varieties. This beer tend to steer clear of the popular American hops in favour of Southern Hemisphere choices like Galaxy, Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, Equinox, Citra and the like. Think New Zealand varieties. We want flavours and aromas dominated by pineapple, papaya, stone fruits, mango and any exotic citrus. The focus in this style is on exotic flavours and aromas but not pungent bitterness.
When I dig deeper on the subject, It also reveals that many brewers making this style favour estery yeasts (more fruit on the nose), lots of oats (beta-glucan = thicker body) and even the addition of fruit juices like pineapple late in the boil. This sounds like a no brainer patio beer for a hot day. Juicy IPAs and DIPAs could easily be all the rage this summer.
Craft Lager
During my last trip home to Toronto in October, I was very surprised how many Craft breweries were brewing Lagers. Pilsners in particular. In my opinion, Lagers have taken the back seat in a Craft Beer movement dominated by Ales. I don't think I have ever been out with beer nerd friends and had one of them ask me "..have you tried this new Lager?" In an ibu dominated world, a clean tasting and refreshing beer, has a difficult time finding a voice. Things however, appear to be changing for the better.
Lager's are beginning to shake off the macro beer stigma and are being embraced by the Craft Beer Movement in full swing. This also includes adopting the style with an eye towards experimentation. From dry hopped lagers to IPL's (India Pale Lager) the style is slowly being assimilated by Craft Brewers and given a proper modern treatment. In the spirit of hybrids, I think this is a great opportunity for Kölsh beer to really take this baton and run. Kölsh is a lagered ale with a clean style of yeast that also happens to accentuate Hops. This would allow you to create a hoppy beer that's also easy drinking and balanced. Any takers?
1516 Breweries
Cool name don't you think? By 1516 Breweries, I mean a brewery that ACTUALLY follows the Reinheitsgrebot. Old world recipes on tap (Pils, Hefeweizen, Dunkel, Munich, Bock, Helles etc.), made the old fashion way (water, malt, hops + yeast) and paired with a food program of schnitzel, brats and giant pretzels. To execute this properly, this will genuinely require the service of an old country Brewmaster that can deliver a consistent Reinheitsgrebot product.
Now this may sound a bit crazy but I believe that if you can create an authentic Bavarian style brewery in a modern city (um, lets say Toronto) there is a market for that product. Glasgow has a really cool spot called WEST Brewery that is this exact concept. Check out the link and tell me you would not love to have a place like that close to home.
