Top Beer Industry Trends 2020

Global Beer Market –

Global Beer market was valued at USD 591.22 Billion in 2018 and is expected to reach USD 684.27 Billion in 2025 growing at a CAGR of 2.11% over the forecast period.

Beer is one of the oldest and most broadly consumed alcoholic drinks in the world and the third most common drink overall after water and tea. Beer is made from cereal grains most commonly from malted barley, though wheat, maize and sometime rice are also used. The alcohol and liquor industry has both local and international players. 

Top Beer Industry Trends 2020–

Fresh hop beer is on the rise –

Fresh hop beer – otherwise known as wet hop beer – is made with freshly picked hops within 24 hours of harvesting them. It creates a different flavor profile than beers made traditionally with dried hops, and the resulting product has a fresher, grassier taste.

Because of the tight timeframe in which these beers can be made, there are a limited number of brewers that can make them and a limited number of products on the market. However, hop production in the US is on the rise, meaning that more brewers can access the ingredient within the necessary timeframe, and have greater quantities available to work with. 2019 was a banner year for fresh hop beers, and we expect to see more varieties on the market in 2020 as brewers take advantage of greater availability of freshly picked hops.

More customers are looking for low ABV beers –

Drinks with little or no alcohol continue to be trendy, and beer is no exception to this. Young adults are more likely to abstain from alcohol than in the past, and they’re not the only ones. Beer brands are working to capitalize on this, with 2019 seeing new offerings from industry giants such as Budweiser and Heineken, as well as the rise of new brands based entirely around alcohol-free beer. This trend will continue to pick up momentum in 2020 with more consumers demanding no- and low-alcohol beers and brewers of all sizes working to meet that demand. Expect to see alcohol-free versions of existing products along with new innovations both big brands and craft brewers in North America and Europe.

Hard seltzer sinks its claws into the market –

It’s debatable whether hard seltzer qualifies as a beer, but you’ll find it at many breweries. It rocketed into popularity last summer with products like White Claw, offering a low-calorie, low-alcohol, affordable beverage that appeals to a lot of today’s drinkers. While a few brands dominated the market in 2019, many craft breweries and other beer companies are creating their own offerings to meet this spike in demand.

Industry experts disagree on whether seltzer has long-term staying power, but for 2020 at least, there will be more new varieties hitting the shelves as brewers capitalize on its popularity and consumers continue to seek out light, low-alcohol beverages.

IPAs are here to stay –

IPAs (India pale ale) have been the subject of several beer trends over the past few years, enjoying a big leap in popularity, and it looks like that isn’t about to change. Milkshake IPAs, hazy IPAs, fresh hop IPA and etc. are some of these may be running their course, but IPAs as a whole continue to be popular, and new variations are popping up as well. Industry experts are predicting that it will see lighter IPAs with fruity and dry profiles in the coming year.

AI is helping take beers to the next level –

As AI systems become more sophisticated and more accessible, beer companies are beginning to incorporate it into their production processes. This isn’t to say that AI systems are controlling the brewing process from start to finish – human brewmasters are still very much involved. But AI can be used to evaluate recipes and ingredients in order to develop better beers.

IntelligentX was the first beer company to use AI and machine learning to develop its recipes. It gathers feedback on its beers from customers, an AI processes the data and generates advice based on that, and the brewers decide whether to incorporate that advice into their next recipe.

Other brewers are turning to AI for insights as well: some are feeding successful (and unsuccessful) recipes into an algorithm to develop the best recipes or predict how well a recipe will perform. A team of researchers in Australia even used AI to determine the best quantity of foam on top of a beer. While it’s early days yet, an increasing number of beer brands will start taking advantage of the power of AI to help them capture customers with the perfect beer.

Global Craft Beer Market –

Global Craft Beer Market is valued at USD 41.07 Billion in 2018 and expected to reach USD 92.80 Billion by 2025 with the CAGR of 12.35% over the forecast period.

A craft brewery or microbrewery is a brewery that produces small amounts of beer, typically much smaller than large-scale corporate breweries, and is independently owned. Craft beer is generally made with ingredients such as malt, yeast, enzymes and hop and are available in wide range of flavors. It is a rich source of silicon, which plays a vital role in increasing bone mineral density and prevents osteoporosis, risk of diabetes and Alzheimer.

Top Beer Industry Trends 2020 –

Top Beer Industry Trends 1- Experiential Taprooms 

Aesthetically, taprooms have evolved much like the third wave of craft coffee. No one walks into a Starbucks anymore awestruck by the green awning and monochromatic menu boards. In 2019 breweries have transformed their spaces into artfully-designed, perfectly-patterned hangouts replete with quirky knick-knacks and architectural conversation pieces.

Top Beer Industry Trends 2- Growing Diversity in Craft 

The faces of craft beer are changing –– and the industry couldn’t ask for a better revamp. With the return of festivals like Fresh Fest and Beers With (out) Beards in 2019, brewers of all varieties are showing the world they want in.

Growing diversity is a good thing, and we’re stoked to be fully on board with this 2020 craft beer trend. Let’s see to it that craft brewing continues to become the more inclusive space it needs to be. After all, it’s about time everyone got their fair share of the limelight.

Top Beer Industry Trends 3- Focus on Craft Malt 

If malt is a potato, then hops are salt. Sure, spices are exotic, but they can’t stand by themselves. That’s what more and more brewers are starting to realize, especially as the industry matures and brewers find themselves with the time, energy, and resources to focus on the sourcing of ALL their raw ingredients — not just the little green ones that have historically stolen the spotlight. In 2020, expect more American agriculturalists to increase their malt production, and prepare for the arrival of new maltsters who cater specifically to craft.

Top Beer Industry Trends 4- Rose Beers 

As far as breweries go, however, rose is going to be a 2020 craft beer trend. Quite a few have made their own takes on the pink wine. While most have seemed like an easy way to get your friend who only drinks hefes to have more variety, rose has gone from a trend to a stalwart.

Green Man Brewery currently has a Persian Dry Rose on tap that’s so crisp, it actually drinking like wine. Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s Rosalie is a beer-wine hybrid co-fermented with Chardonnay and other grape wine varietals that come from vineyards near the Central California brewery. This isn’t just about making beer pink. Rather, it’s about playing with the concept of working with wine while still making a true beer. Expect more experimentation that will surely confuse consumers tongue in the forecast period.

Top Beer Industry Trends 5- Lagers rising in esteem 

Maybe the IPA’s dominance is winding down. Perhaps people new to craft beer need alternatives to wacky double dry-hopped brews. Or that no one can drink IPA all the time and there are, in fact, occasions where straightforward frosty suds are all a beer enthusiast needs.

Most likely thinking, is that the most talented lager brewers (Suarez, Live Oak, pFriem, Threes, etc.) have garnered passionate followings and folks are eager for their lagers. Whatever the case may be, expect to see lagers continue climbing the popularity ladder among beer styles and earn greater esteem among craft beer fans and even homebrewers.