Bagley Liquor in Bagley , MN , has to replenish its alcohol-free beer section every week to keep up with customer demand .
Two Roads Brewing ’ s Cruise Control Lager is up over 20 % since a packaging refresh earlier this year , while its Two Juicy Hazy Double IPA is one of the brewery ’ s best selling flagship brews .
I don ’ t see that changing ,” he says . “ The only change you ’ ll see is less-loaded IPAs becoming more popular . Consumers are interested in sessional , dryer and cleaner beers .”
Hazy IPAs are also popular at Two Roads , Markowski says , though he ’ s seen a shift towards more traditional American IPAs as well .
“ We recently launched our Coast Rider American IPA in our immediate market , and the reception has been great so far ,” he says . “ There are signs that some consumers are becoming interested in exploring craft beer beyond Juicy IPAs , which is a healthy trend and one that craft brewing is equipped to handle .”
Recently , Markowski notes , “ we ’ ve seen a shift towards lagers as consumers seek out different craft beer styles that are more balanced while still being crisp and refreshing ,” he says . “ Our own Cruise Control Lager has been a longstanding product in our craft portfolio , and is up more than 20 % since we launched its packaging refresh earlier this year .”
Winget sees more people choosing lighter options . “ I see a few things happening — one of them being people choosing simpler beer styles ,” he notes .
“ Consumers are getting burnt out on the more esoteric options that breweries offer like insanely fruited sours and crazy flavors ,” Winget says . “ We ’ ve gotten to this level of jumping the shark , and now people are going to bars and just asking for a lager , pilsner or IPA — something they can wrap
their head around that ’ s also delicious .”
A HOPFUL FUTURE
While many industry watchers focus on craft beer ’ s decline , Winget says that the sector is simply maturing . “ This is a natural part of any industry . The huge proliferation of craft brewing over the last
15 years was an unattainable growth model , so now we ’ re just seeing a rebalancing of this industry as it settles into what is really an overall economic uncertainty with inflation ,” he explains .
“ To be realistic , breweries aren ’ t going anywhere ," Winget adds . " We just need to find the correct niche for these industries within a changing new modern landscape .”
Despite the challenges of reduced demand and a wide range of choices on the market , don ’ t count craft beer out , says Treadwell Park ’ s Benecke . “ Craft beer retained a $ 22 billion retail value and continues to flourish locally . It is a major local job provider . Almost everyone in the U . S . lives within 10 miles of a craft brewery now and , on average , spends at least 25 % of their beer dollars on local and independent beer .”
Christa Sobier , founder of Beer Witch , a small , boutique craft beer bar and bottle shop in Park Slope , Brooklyn , is hopeful for the future of beer . “ Right now , it ' s scary out there , but there are still a few people who appreciate and love a good curation ,” she says .
“ I ' m holding on to hope that those folks can carry us through these precarious times ,” Sobier adds . “ I know if we closed tomorrow , I wouldn ' t be able to find a lot of the beers we carry , so that ' s worth holding onto . Maybe it ' s not enough to survive , especially in such an unaffordable city , but time will tell .” •
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