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If drinking an outdoor beer this spring reminds you to hang out in the fruit aisle of your favorite grocery store, you're probably not alone. Fruit flavored beer with a volume alcohol (ABV) of less than 4.2% – compared to the average of 5% ABV – has emerged as a serious competitor among new craft beers.
But what makes these beers so attractive to such a variety of consumers? On the one hand, adding fruit to beer is an easy way to add flavor. It's a proven method that goes back to the very first breweries in America. "Low-alcohol, fruit-flavored beers probably date back to the first brewery in America in the 1600s," says Eric McKay, co-founder of the Hardywood Park brewery in Richmond, Va. contained fermentable sugars and were probably used for early brewing of beer. Sub-modified brewed barley and rudimentary knowledge of fermentation science generally limit the alcohol content of primitive beers. "
However, as brewing techniques improved along with the introduction of lager-style beer into the US market, fruit-flavored beers became less and less of a concern for major brewers in search. cheap ingredients and big profits. When craft breweries began to gain popularity in the 1980s, fruit became an essential ingredient for companies seeking to differentiate their products from forgotten flavors. In the 1990s, a number of breweries introduced fruit-flavored beers such as Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat, Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde and Abita Purple Haze.
"As most of these beers use aroma extracts rather than real fruit, some purists of craft beer have adopted a negative attitude towards them," says McKay. "But the approach and the perceived sweetness of the fruits make them" bridge beers "very popular with people who are less interested in craft beer with a stronger taste, such as IPA and stouts."
In the brewery of Hardywood.
Courtesy of Hardywood
The trend has gained so much popularity that, in 2006, Miller Lite developed an advertising campaign called "Man Laws," one of those unofficial codes denouncing the unacceptable nature of fruit in beer. However, as consumers have proven that fruit-flavored beer has a dedicated audience, breweries have taken up the idea of adding real fruit to their brewing process as the demand for clean ingredients and the transparency of production processes were more and more popular in recent years.
Another health trend that coincided with an increased demand for pure ingredients: a lower alcohol content is becoming an increasingly important buying decision. As noted in a July 2018 study by the Brewers Association, Enter the spirit of the craft beer consumer, 29% of respondents said low TAA was a determining factor in the choice of craft beer.
Suncrush Grapefruit.
| Kate Magee Photography
"Today, beer lovers are excited to try a new beer, from the brewery down the street to the regional craft breweries," says Julia Herz, director of the beer program. craft beer production at the Brewers Association. -be-liberated a bit powerful from Delaware's beloved brewery, Dogfish Head. "There has been a huge buildup for this low calorie IPA, only 95 calories, 4% ABV, and made with monk fruit." Herz said that beer restaurants like Dogfish would not invest in the space if beer lovers were not there.
"The general trend towards more healthier beverage choices reflects what's happening in the food world," says McKay.
Of course, the idea that consumers are looking for a beer for a healthy lifestyle might sound funny. One of the key lessons learned from the Brewers Association study is that beer drinkers worry about finding a beer that fits their lifestyle. And for those who practice an active and healthy lifestyle, the idea of a tasty and low-calorie beer, made for beach days or camping trips, fits perfectly.
"We've only seen a growth in the demand for acidic beers since we first opened our doors six years ago," says Mark Verling, beverage manager for Brooklyn's Tørst, a Danish bar stocked with wood and beer. charm. "On the 21 line lines that we have here, we used to pour two to three tart beers of varying styles and flavor profiles, but last year we increased the number of beers we had here. allowance of four to five lines at a time. "Although all the tart beers have a low alcohol content, a bar like Tørst, renowned for its elaborate beer list, also offers up to 120 tart beers in Different bottle, according to Verling, an indication, no matter how you personally define this beer, it does not go away any time soon.
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