New laws, new beers, new ingredients. The past year was a big year in craft beer, and now is a good time to look back on some of the innovations and achievements of craft brewers, and look ahead to the New Year.
Brewing at Record Levels-Still
Brewery Count
In the first half of 2014, the number of brewery licenses in the U.S. reached 4500, the highest to date. Thirteen different states can now boast having more than 100 breweries each.
IPAs—Still Number One
IPAs continued to reign as the beer style of choice in 2014, further solidifying their place as the flagship beer of the craft beer movement. According to the Brewer’s Association (and retail sales data), IPAs accounted for a 21 percent volume share of total craft beer sales in 2014, and remained the top entered category at the Great American Beer Festival. Session IPAs in particular saw a surge in popularity, and are one of the fastest growing segments in craft beer.
Anniversary Ale Saison
Sours and Saisons—Where the Wild Things Are
Tart and a bit wild, both Sours and Saisons saw an upswing in popularity this year, and Mendocino Brewing joined the trend with their Anniversary Ale Saison. Brewed with wild yeast, the increasing interest in these beer is helping to fuel the creativity of brewers.
The Spice of Life
Variety packs increased in sales this year, up 21 percent by volume. More stores also added the Make Your Own Six-Pack option to their beer selection, further encouraging beer exploration.
New Hops on the Scene
Cashmere Hops
The Hops Growers of America shared four new types of hops at the Craft Brewer’s Conference this year, giving brewers an even larger palette to play with. Their quantities are still limited, but as they take off we can expect to the see them hopping up in beers in the coming years.
Cashmere -A cross between Cascade and Northern Brewer, Cashmere is described as having tropical aromas, with notes of coconut, melon, citrus and spice. It was the crowd favorite at the Conference this year.
Tahoma- A daughter of the Glacier hop, Tahoma’s flavor profile carries notes of citrus, spice and wood. It is best suited as an aroma hop.
Triple Pearl- Triple Pearl is a triploid daughter of Perle. Triploids deliver heavier cones and less seeds, and this particular version has a mellow aroma of citrus, resin, pepper and spice.
Yakima Gold- A cross between an Early Cluster and a wild Slovenian male, this dual use hop is said to have strong American hop aromatics with a smooth bitterness.
Craft Beer in Google Searches. The sudden jumps are in May, Craft Beer Week
Making Headlines
Also worth noting is some of the news that made waves this past year. The rumored hops shortage had some brewers on edge, while nay-sayers continued to send dire messages of the impending craft beer bubble. Fortunately, neither prediction held true, though the price of hops has definitely gone up.
On a lighter note, the Craft Beer Minor offered by Paul Smith’s College had many people dreaming of returning to school, and new laws across the nation have made it easier for brewers—and drinkers—to transport and distribute beer. Perhaps one of the most exciting changes (yet to be official) is the Small BREW Act, a change in tax structure to help promote the growth of new breweries.
Looking Ahead
The relaxing of puritanical laws along with the growing interest in craft beer can only help to expand the craft, since as more people have access to craft beer, more brewers will be born. Homebrewers are on the rise, German brewers are looking to the U.S. for inspiration, and new ingredients are being bred and boiled. It’s an exciting time to be a craft beer lover!
What’s your prediction?
What’s your forecast for the year ahead? Will Saisons continue to flourish? Will brewers invent yet another way to make an IPA? Let us know in the comments below.
