“ You pretty much have to have Electric Jell yfish hazy IPA from Pinthouse Brewing on tap in Austin , no matter what kind of bar you are .”
– Stetson Strifler , Beverage Manager at Austin ’ s Easy Tiger .
B ee rT re n d s alcoholic beers ,” says Founder / CEO Ted Fleming . “ Today , there ’ s probably 50 .”
He says the audience for NAs has broadened into those who drink alcohol on occasion , but are looking for a healthier alternative — particularly on weekday occasions .
‘ TIS THE SEASONAL
Seasonal beer remains a sure-fire way to please customers . Iron Hill Brewery , which has 20 locations on the East Coast , was preparing in August to launch its pumpkin and Oktoberfest lagers , “ which we sell the hell out of in the fall season ,” says Mark Edelson , one of the founders .
Further into fall Iron Hill rolls out its higher-ABV , fuller-bodied Double IPAs , while the holiday season brings out its Reindeer ’ s Revenge , a Belgian tripel with American hops in it . To get drinkers through the winter , Iron Hill fortifies them with its Russian imperial stout , only to lighten things up in spring with maibocks and hazy beers .
At Applejack Wine & Spirits in Wheat Ridge , CO , beer manager Ian Hanson says it seems like fall beers , such as pumpkin-flavored brews and Oktoberfest märzen ’ s , start appearing earlier and earlier each year . Other big-sellers , given its location , are anything Coors . “ We ’ re out here in Coors country so Coors Lite is my biggest SKU ,” he says . “ And Banquet does well since it ’ s brewed out here .”
Even near San Diego , where the weather is considered summery perfect year-round , bars and restaurants embrace seasonal . “ I always look forward to all the summer takes on beer selections ,” says Tipi Vryasith , food and beverage director at Hotel del Coronado . “ What summer begs for are light flavors that capture the spirit of enjoying a beer without being weighed down .”
Her favorite summer beer is a shandy . “ A beer expertly balanced with lemonade or fruit juices , when done right , is a great summertime trend on menus ,” she says .
For the fall , Vryasith likes brews that evoke memories of apple picking and the fragrance of fresh apple cider donuts . “ I look forward to all the autumn flavors : pumpkin , cinnamon , caramel , nuts and grains . I can ’ t wait to see how these flavors meld together with a stout , a big IPA , amber ale or a porter ,” she says .
GLASS HALF FULL
The beer category faces its share of challenges , however . For one , spirits sales are close to overtaking beer , according to the latest data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the U . S . And this was with hard seltzer included in beer category data .
Inflation also poses a problem . A recent survey of more than 1,000 Drizly users revealed that nearly a third ( 31 %) say inflation
Greg Engert , Beverage Director and Partner of Neighborhood Restaurant Group in Alexandria , VA , sees a renewed interest in nuanced lager styles like tmavé and polotmavý , as well as cask ale .
has affected their alcohol purchasing .
But for now , many bars , restaurants and retail outlets across the U . S . have not experienced any noticeable impact in sales . Consumers seem eager to put to good use some of that money they have saved up during the pandemic .
Easy Tiger ’ s Strifler predicts the next big thing will be low-cal craft beer . “ Right now , there aren ’ t really any options , but in the next two or three years , someone ’ s going to jump on that train ,” he says .
And there is some evidence that gluten-free beers may be starting to proliferate . Half Time has seen a handful of nonalcoholic gluten-free beers . “ I ’ ve got like three or four of them on the shelf ,” says Wolloch . “ We never really had that before .”
The renewed interest in lagers supports the notion some people have that craft beer has become too removed from mainstream drinkers . At The Whale Craft Beer Collective bar in Asheville , NC , they are trying to change that perception .
“ Our biggest thing is serving people without pretension ,” says The Whale ’ s Co-owner Andrew Ross . “ Really taking the pretension out of high-end beer , taking the pretension out of beer bars , out of bottle shops , and being a really approachable , neighborhood-focused place to learn about beer .” BD
Andrew Kaplan is a Queens , NY-based writer who covers the beverage industry .
www . beveragedynamics . com September / October 2022 • Beverage Dynamics 25