As any brewer knows, pendulum swings are inevitable. Just a couple of years ago, consumers appeared to be on an all-or-nothing kick—it was as if they either wanted stovepipes of 9 percent ABV imperial IPA, or they wanted something completely booze-free.
Neither of those extremes is going anywhere, but in the United States there is emerging a new middle ground—arguably a lower middle ground—where there was only white space before. Enter: the “small beer,” often ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 percent ABV.