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Old harpoon beer logo12/18/2023 ![]() “We’ve created some of the craziest beers we could think of and put 'em in a can. This push towards creativity and innovation was a big moment for the folks at Fort Worth’s Martin House Brewing Company. The future for the category is going to be lighter-lighter calories, lighter ABV, lighter styles and even consumer expectations around a lighter lift when it comes to purchasing and enjoying their next beverage.” She says, “these shifts are due in large part to the convergence of macro consumer trends-a rise in expectations around convenience that has led to the proliferation of canned beverages across other categories, to the sober curious movement and the general rise in health consciousness that has led to increases in categories such as light lager, stouts, hard seltzer, and non-alcoholic beers. ![]() While hard seltzer is on everyone's mind (and new product roadmap), we've also seen increases across a number of other alternatives-hard lemonades, hard kombuchas and teas and of course, RTDs.” Consumers are seeking out alternatives to the mainstays of the last decade, ones that are often much lighter in calories and ABV. “The story of the beer, flavored malt beverage and cider category this past year has been one of disruption and diversification. Liz Paquette, the head of consumer insights at Drizly, notes these purchasing shifts are reflected in sales. As a small brewery, we love trying something new each week.” That said, he admits, “The seltzer trend continues to be strong, and smaller breweries are still having their moment because they’re better positioned to offer new and exciting choices for their regular customers. “Especially since that tends to be a concoction wineries and distilleries are better equipped to make than breweries.” “I never saw the seltzer train coming,” says Michael Harper, head brewer at Funky Picnic Brewery in Fort Worth. Continuing this mentality, the hard seltzer category thrived over 2020. “Lower alcohol beers began to gain market share last year as people steadied their consumption desire with effect desire,” says Valenta. Outside of IPAs, brewers note that lower-alcohol styles continue to trend upwards. “As far as the product itself, IPAs aren't going away anytime soon.” Michael Moeller of the Louisville Ale Trail corroborates this. Speaking of IPAs, that segment, which had been expanding exponentially over the past several years, continued its impressive growth during the last year.” Our flagship Harpoon IPA has enjoyed its strongest off-premise sales trends in the last five years. On the flipside, Harpoon Brewery co-founder Dan Kenary says, “From a consumer standpoint, we’ve seen a definite shift back to tried-and-true brands during the pandemic. ![]() Having diverse styles on tap is the best way for people to learn.” “We're strong advocates of beer education and that breweries should take that responsibility seriously. “Brewers know that ‘ haze pays,’ but I’m seeing breweries diversifying their tap menus with lagers, dunkels and Belgians!” says Apollon, Jr. ![]() While beermakers adapted to shifting production processes, they were also pushed to rethink their offerings. “We had to get creative by doing things like splitting brews into smaller tanks and doing different dry hop additions or adding different fruits to them to work through a variety of R&D projects without making too much liquid. “The capacity restrictions on our taprooms have also made research and development a bit more complicated-we just can’t brew to the volume and velocity that we’re used to or we’d end up having to dump a lot of out-of-date beer before it gets consumed,” says Jeremy Kosmicki, the brewmaster for Founders Brewing Company. Outside of sourcing, the change in draught demand pushed brewers to rework and rethink their brewing process. “Because of this shift, we saw more breweries move into packaging and new breweries enter the off-premise market that hadn’t previously packaged, increasing competition on the shelf.” Valenta notes that with consumers at home, draught demand was depleted. ![]()
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