Brewing Trends

In this excerpt from their conversation for Craft Beer & Brewing Podcast Episode 400, editorial director Jamie Bogner and WeldWerks founder Neil Fisher look back on the industry’s past decade, looking for light to shed on its present and future.

Amid craft lager’s surge, smaller maltsters are sending up signals for an unlikely trend, producing small batches of unusual smoked malts made with a variety of woods. Brewers dig it, too—but will drinkers follow?

Beer is already made from plants, and foraging for local flavor is nothing new to terroir-focused breweries. So, what does it mean to brew with botanicals—and could your brewery capitalize on the trend?

The sales numbers don’t lie: Many drinkers are looking for what they see as healthier ways to imbibe. To meet that demand, do you need new equipment? Can you use what you already have? Here are some specific techniques (and gear) to consider.

There’s no denying the popularity of hard seltzer—the beverage success story of 2019. Unlike with beverage fads of the past, brewers large and small are betting on the bubbly longevity of hard seltzer, and they're poised to pivot to whatever comes next.