Flavors

When done thoughtfully, fruited sours, spiked sodas, and even hard seltzers can address many of the same drinker demands as RTD cocktails.

Understanding this off-flavor, how to test for it, and how to reduce it is key to producing commercially viable beer.

You don’t have to join ’em to beat ’em. Trends in flavored malt beverages, canned cocktails, and even nonalcoholic products suggest new ways to develop and market beer that connects with today’s exploratory drinkers.

For Ninkasi Brewing in Eugene, Oregon, the benefits of developing hard seltzer expertise and its Pacific Sparkling brand far outweighed the product’s perceived lack of romance.

Donna Wamsley of Seattle-based SoRSE Technology—a specialist in figuring out how to get flavors into our foods and drinks—talks consumer trends and what’s on the horizon for the beer industry.