6 beer trends insiders expect to be popular this year, from classic lagers to THC drinks
This new year will be the year of balance in the brewing industry, according to industry experts.
They anticipate drinkers will be reaching for lighter lagers, nonalcoholic brews, THC drinks and fruity flavors, while still enjoying some IPAs and imperial ales.
That's what we learned when the Journal Sentinel asked seven brewing industry experts in Milwaukee what beer and craft drink trends are going to be popular this year.
In order of the most mentioned trend to least, here are six brewing trends they anticipate for 2024.
Return to the classic lagers, ambers and more
Almost every expert we spoke with said that 2024 is the year to return to classics such as pilsners, ambers and lagers.
"People are looking for the classic German styles, the more approachable and less crazy stuff," said Andy Gehl, president and co-founder of Third Space Brewing.
The brewery is bringing back its rotating lager series starting with a maibock release in February and ending with a dark lager in October. Third Space is also releasing its first ever amber on Feb. 16.
"I think it’s a reaction to 'I've tried everything, and now I just want a clean, crisp lager,'" said Adrienne Pierluissi, owner of Sugar Maple bar.
In 2023, New Barons Brewing Cooperative decided they would fully shift their focus to this style of beer.
"We decided to become a lager-focused brand and 80% of our product is some type of lager, which includes pilsners, Oktoberfest, Czech, European styles," said John Degroote, New Barons' CEO and brewmaster. "We wanted to get ahead of the mark. There has been a regrowing trend there."
Lakefront Brewery owner Russ Klisch said they are looking forward to this trend as many beers in their core lineup are lagers, such as Riverwest Stein and East Side Dark.
Same goes for Gathering Place Brewing Company, which opened as a lager brewery and hosts Lager and Friends festival every spring. The event has grown in popularity each year, according to Gathering Place Brewing Co. owner Joe Yeado.
"Lagers continue to sell well," Yeado said. "I think there is a trend of the pendulum swinging back towards lighter-colored, lighter-bodied, easy-to-drink beers."
Here are some beers in this style that are available now or set to be released soon:
Third Space's Pretty Good Amber (Feb. 16 release date)
Lakefront Brewery's Dive Beer, a "Milwaukee-style" lager that pays homage to the city's original breweries
Gathering Place's New Zealand-style pilsner (Jan. 27 release date)
New Barons' Knappstor Premium Czech pilsner, available in cans and in the taproom where they plan to install a classic Czech side-pulling tap that creates a perfect foamy head (coming late winter/spring)
THC drinks
THC drinks are predicted to be a huge hit this year.
Since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp and CBD, THC enthusiasts have been figuring out how to extract it.
Currently, the most popular iteration is hemp-derived THC, which is legal to sell, consume and infuse into drinks; marijuana-derived THC, however, remains illegal in Wisconsin.
"THC drinks, those are flying out the door," Sugar Maple's Pierluissi said.
Of note to consumers: local brewers say they have high quality-control standards, but THC is not regulated in Wisconsin.
Here are some recent THC-infused releases in Wisconsin:
Eagle Park's Alto THC seltzers
Third Space's Head Space
Untitled Art's Green Canvas Lemonade Tea with THC and CBD, available at Sugar Maple
More: New Walker’s Point cafe and bar selling THC-infused drinks is a rarity in the country
Unique fruity flavors
Since hard seltzers took off in the late 2010s, many have enjoyed the sweeter, fruity flavors in the craft beverage industry. Brewers are looking to continue making these products in unique and exciting ways.
"One of the things we have been seeing as a continuing trends is the younger generations are looking for a lot more variety than people of the older generation," said Nick Kocis, the founder and brewmaster at Dead Bird Brewing. "Some of the fastest-growing products in the craft industry are not beer."
Kocis, whose brewery makes craft soda and also has a winery license, said they are jumping on that trend with wine cocktails such as their Peach Palmer. It's made with their fortified dry white wine infused with whole yellow peaches and a peach white tea, and topped with their citrus soda.
Gathering Place is embracing the trend by adding fruit in unique ways, such as adding Door County cherries to their Belgian tripel, a style that doesn't usually have added fruit; and adding pineapple to their wheat beer, which does have a fruity flavor.
"We're still trying to find ways to innovate or differentiate within styles that are more traditional," Yeado said.
It's also worth mentioning that sours, while less popular than in previous years, are sticking around.
"I have eight sours on tap and they keep moving," Pierluissi said. "People relate them to summer, but they don’t go down in the winter."
Here are some fruity craft drinks to check out in the Milwaukee area:
Dead Bird Brewing wine cocktails, available in the the taproom and to be canned in 2024
Milwaukee Brewing Company's 19th Tea, original available now, and a variety pack with flavors including original, hibiscus and peach coming in April
Gathering Place's The Limb Shaker Belgian tripel with Door County cherries
Young Blood Beer Co.'s I'm a Peacock, Let Me Fly, a cherry and graham cracker sour, available at Sugar Maple
More: Dead Bird Brewing Co. set to accomplish owner's longtime goal
IPAs are here to stay, but more West Coast styles
Not many beer styles have the strength and staying power as IPAs, and that is not expected to change this year.
Many brewers believe that people will continue to go to their favorite IPA, while cycling in the lighter beers mentioned above.
But the last few years have been all about the hazy IPAs (an East Coast style), and brewers anticipate a return to clearer, crisper West Coast styles.
"West Coast IPAs, lighter-body IPAs, they’re going to balance back out with the New England East Coast style," said Max Borgardt, co-owner of Eagle Park Brewing and Milwaukee Brewing Co. “It's not that (hazy IPAs) are going away, it’s just not what everyone is drinking all the time.”
Here are some crisp IPAs to check out:
Black Husky Brewing's Dogfather, available at Sugar Maple and Black Husky
Lakefront's Chilly Rabbit
Eagle Park's Rectifier
Nonalcoholic beer
Nonalcoholic beer is on the rise. Yes, even in Wisconsin.
Nonalcoholic beer, wine and spirits sales increased 32% across the country from 2022 to 2023, according to data firm NIQ, which tracks sales of U.S. supermarkets, drug stores and mass merchandise stores.
"You're going to see a lot of continued growth of nonalcoholic styles, like beer and hop waters," Third Space's Gehl said. "Our hop water has really taken off. We're expecting a lot of growth on that side."
Third Space came out with that beverage, Happy Water, in 2019, and has since added flavors.
"We've seen a big uptick in our nonalcoholic mocktails," Dead Bird's Kocis said. "We wanted to make sure that we had a family-friendly environment. Teens want something a little more grown up than a soda. That has been a big push. And the other side of that, Millennials and Gen Z are drinking less."
Here are some nonalcoholic options in the area to check out:
Lakefront Brewery's NA variety pack with nonalcoholic Riverwest Stein, Eastside Dark and Extended Play
Third Space's Hop Water in mosaic lime and citra lemon varieties
Related: Illinois' Go Brewing is one of the first nonalcoholic breweries in the country to have a taproom
An occasional imperial
Opposite of the lighter beer trends that are set to take over in 2024, brewers said people will still reach for a good strong beer from time to time.
At Sugar Maple, Pierluissi believes the heavy beers will continue to be a popular seasonal trend in the colder months.
"In this season, a lot of the big barrel-aged bourbon stouts are popular right now. Not everyone is doing Dry January," she said.
"There's going to be a continuation of the high ABV-style beers," Gehl said. "They're still doing really well in craft and I think this will be another big year of it being a big seller."
Here are some big brews from local breweries to check out:
Third Space's Infinite Wisdom, an imperial IPA
Third Space's Believe It Or Not, a double IPA available at Sugar Maple and Third Space
Central Waters Brewing Co.'s Bourbon Barrel Stout, an imperial stout available at the Milwaukee taproom
More insider thoughts
As this year is all about variety, breweries are going to make variety packs, especially ones that are not just four different IPAs. At Eagle Park, they are coming out with a variety pack with Set List hazy IPA, Ritmo Mexican lager, Blues Breaker Belgian white, and Rectifier West Coast IPA.
Smaller breweries, meanwhile, might look to consolidate their offerings.
"The market will continue to mature and it might get more fractured," New Barons' Degroote said. "More breweries will specialize and say, 'We're the hazy IPA brewery, or the sour beer brewery.'"
Quality, consistency and brand recognition is a big challenge for craft breweries this year. The Brewers Association said some independent breweries are struggling as the industry matures.
"Quality and consistency is going to be a huge thing, so that’s what we've been dialing in," Eagle Park's Borgardt said. "Loyalty will be more important than it used to be."
"Ten years ago you could put out subpar beer and get by, but now consumers are smarter, so having quality product is table stakes, it’s the bare minimum," Yeado said. "If people like a place, they should support a place. The hospitality scene in Milwaukee has seen places closing in the last couple months. People can vote with their dollars and support local."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee beer trends include lagers, THC drinks, West Coast IPAs
