Everything is always in motion - and craft-beer lovers are no exception. You know that better than anyone as a brewer. Or do you belong to the category of brewers who have set themselves the task of brewing the beer they personally love most? There are plenty of those. But the question is whether that approach can sustain a successful, professional brewery over the long term. If you are still reading this, chances are you see things differently - that the people who drink your beer are a serious measure of your brewery's quality.
Everything is always in motion. Beer lovers' preferences shift over time. They are increasingly swapping alcoholic beer for (near-)alcohol-free alternatives. You already knew that. But there is another trend at play. Data shows that the popularity of IPAs is eroding: compared to previous years, the share of these hop-forward styles has declined by 16%. Beer lovers are turning back to traditional styles. Classic blonde ales and tripels are scoring well. And for the more adventurous, aficionados are making the move toward bottom-fermented styles rooted in German brewing culture.
IPA is losing its WOW factor
Are beer lovers growing tired of IPAs and all their offshoots? Or are they being spoiled and finding it harder to come across hop-forward beers that truly deliver on quality? It seems that American IPAs and all their derivative styles are losing their WOW factor for many beer consumers.
However forgiving a hop-forward beer may appear to novice commercial brewers: in the tsunami of American, DIPA and TIPA, DDH Westcoast, NEIPA, Milkshake, Dark, Cold, New-Zealand, Belgian, Brut, Brett, Red, Rye, Session, Sour, and White IPAs, you can only stand out through top quality. That means quality ingredients (no hops that smell like wet, worn socks) and genuine craftsmanship (try actually nailing the brew and packaging). Real beer lovers eventually discover real quality - and for IPAs too, the margin for error is razor-thin.
Enthusiasts develop their palate
Beer lovers developing their palate is as old as brewing itself. It fits human nature: always curious to discover what else is out there. Those whose interest in beer was sparked by the fruity flavours of IPAs are drawn by that same curiosity to explore further - and to discover the richness of aromas and flavours, and above all the finesse, that lies within beers brewed to more traditional style guidelines.
Or perhaps those beer lovers discover something even more profound: the impeccable quality level of breweries that have often been producing traditional beer styles for generations. And for that reason always deliver on their promise, glass after glass. Because the quality of these 'always-good beers' is beyond doubt. Whereas with beers from younger breweries, it is often still anyone's guess what you will find in your glass.
As an enthusiast, you can only spend your money once. That makes it tempting to spend it on beer from one of those 'always-good brewers'. In the end, the pleasure of drinking beer that is right in every way - that meets your expectations and lets you enjoy it without a second thought - wins out over the glitter of the new, the experimental. Beyond the hype…
Become an 'always-good brewer'
Just as beer lovers should keep developing, so should you as a brewer. Launching something new and experimental is not a goal in itself - and certainly not a foundation for building a sustainable brewery business. To achieve that, a brewer must meet the expectations of an increasingly discerning public. Does that thought fill you with dread? You too can become an 'always-good brewer'. That becomes possible when you make quality a priority: at every step of the brewing process, with every beer you put on the market. Knowing precisely what you are doing.
Beer-o-Meter is a handy tool for exactly that. You can use it to run tests that give you accurate insight into what you are doing - laboratory-grade, but in a practical, accessible way. With Beer-o-Meter you get reliable measurement results for the most important parameters for brewing great beer, in no time at all. So you achieve a consistent quality level that convinces even the most critical beer lover. Being a successful local craft brewery takes boldness. The boldness to think from the perspective of that demanding customer - who is all too happy to be pleasantly surprised by beer of exceptional quality, brewed by 'their' brewery.