Brewing has been hard hit these last several years by pandemic lockdowns, supply chain issues affecting packaging and raw ingredients and staff shortages. But one ray of sunshine has been the growth in the “shop local” movement, which has helped neighborhood breweries survive — sometimes at the expense of larger regional breweries, which have seen big sales downturns. A few breweries closed — although less, perhaps, than expected — but that’s a trend that will likely continue through 2023.
Here’s what else we expect to see in the coming year.
1. Lower ABV beers: Session beers, non-alcoholic versions, low-alcohol brews and even some low-carb have been circling the edges of popularity for years now, but with changing tastes — especially among younger consumers — they may be here to stay. One of the barriers to gaining wider acceptance used to be that these beers tasted different — thinner and less flavorful — than their counterpoints. But times have changed and improvements to the way these beers are created has many of them tasting every bit as good as their higher ABV cousins.
2. Greater experimentation: With so many breweries struggling to stay relevant and survive, expect them to take steps to stand out from the rest. I think we’ll see more beers made with unusual ingredients and flavor combinations. This could be a good thing. The potential for great new beers nobody has ever thought of before is high. But with great experimentation comes…
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