Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American craft beer ambassador for Europe, looks at new US craft beer launches in the UK, and female attitudes towards craft beer in the States
Photographs: Brewers’ Association
There is much excitement among UK beer lovers this month with the arrival of a new US craft beer shipment of some of the most sought-after and iconic names in the American craft brewing world. It comprises beers from:
Allagash Brewing Co
Including the world famous Allagash White, a classic example of the Belgian-style witbier and the most award-winning wheat beer in the world, Allagash Curieux, a bourbon barrel-aged Belgian-style golden ale, and many other others.
Other Half Brewing Co
A powerhouse range of IPAs, DIPAs, and hazy IPAs to keep even the most fervent hopheads satisfied.
Revolution Brewing
Chicago’s independent juggernaut offers an extensive range of styles, from lambics and golden ales through to juicy IPAs, DIPAs, and hazy IPAs, culminating in big, punchy porters and barrel-aged stouts.
Samuel Adams
The legendary Samuel Adams Boston Lager is now available, along with new variants and new US cult favourite Twisted Tea.
Toppling Goliath Brewing Co
Renowned for their world famous and award-winning hoppy beers, such as Pseudo Sue pale ale, showcasing the Citra hop, and King Sue, a hazy DIPA, also hopped with Citra.
Beers are available on draught through selected bars and pubs, and in packaged formats in bottle shops, off-licences or online. They have been made available by Cave Direct, the UK’s specialist beer importer.
American craft brewers are renowned for their ground-breaking creativity, relentless innovation, and unswerving commitment to the highest standards possible. They push the boundaries of flavour and create excitement with new ingredients, new techniques, and new taste experiences.
What’s so special about American craft beer? One of the main points of difference is that the brewers have a unique advantage over other brewing nations, due to their close proximity to some of the world’s premier hop-growing regions. This allows them to select the freshest, highest-quality, most sought-after hops available. Many brewers visit the hop fields themselves multiple times a year and work directly with the growers. They not only visually inspect the harvest, but crush open the hops in their hands to examine the resins and oils, as well as inhale the all-important aroma.
Among all beer styles in the US, IPAs still reign supreme, accounting for approximately a third of all sales. They come in a variety of iterations and strengths and are a platform for innovation in their own right.
According to a new Harris poll survey in the States, commissioned by the Brewers Association, some demographic groups are under-represented in their consumption of American craft beer, notably women.
The survey found that 37% of women report drinking American craft beer several times a year or more often, compared to 59% of men. In comparison, 62% of women drink wine with that frequency, 55% spirits and 44% flavoured malt beverages. Some 57% of women who don’t consume craft beer report not liking the flavour, and 16% cite that they’re not sure what the flavour profile of beer should be. They tend to think of craft beer as having hoppy, crisp, dark, and malty flavour profiles.
In their choice of beverage alcohol, women report preferring fruity and light flavours. Bubbly and botanical profiles are also popular. Female American craft beer drinkers prefer crisp, juicy/hazy and fruity flavours slightly more than men, when considering craft beer profiles. What’s more, the occasions in which American craft beer is consumed vary somewhat and some of the largest differences between male and female respondents were at home with family and friends (8% more likely than men), at an outdoor/recreational activity (7% more), and in visiting a brewery (5% more).
Education remains a key driver of market development. Nearly one in five legal drinking age adults in the States say they don’t drink more craft beer because they don’t know enough about it to make an informed purchasing decision. The new range of US beers currently available in the UK is the perfect opportunity to change perceptions and entice new drinkers into the wonderful world of American craft beer.
The Great American Beer Festival
For those interested in discovering more about American craft beer, don’t miss the Great American Beer Festival, from 9th-11th October, in Denver, Colorado, the largest beer festival in the US. GABF is an annual showcase of beverage innovation in its many forms and offers thousands of samples from producers around the US. and overseas.
Following last year’s debut of ‘ready to drink’ and beyond beer beverages, this year’s festival will offer a new Distilling Experience, welcoming full strength spirits to the festival floor for the first time.
In the UK, American craft beer is available from Athletic Brewing, Cave Direct Brew Export, Beer Merchants, Hop the Pond, and Cask International. Find it in selected bottle shops, supermarkets, bars and pubs.
Free downloadable resources about American craft beer are available at brewersassociation.org or craftbeer.com
About the author
Lotte Peplow is the American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe for the Brewers Association and is based in London. She is a certified cicerone, BDI-accredited beer sommelier, beer writer, author, beer communicator, international beer judge, homebrewer, and beer lover.
