Appetites: What's in and what's out in craft beer and liquor?
We're only a week into the new year, but now's the time to look ahead to the trends in craft beer and liquors for 2019.
John Garland, deputy editor of Growler Magazine, joined All Things Considered host Tom Crann to talk about some of the new tastes to check out in the craft drinks. Here are a few of Garland's predictions for the next 12 months:
Historical beer styles not from Germany or Belgium
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As the number of craft breweries continues to grow and look for ways to set themselves apart, brewers are looking into traditions from countries whose beers people aren't super familiar with — Poland, Norway, Lithuania, Finland. Expect styles that rely on specialized yeast strains, grain treatments, or special ingredients.
Flavored malt beverages go craft
Based on the success of drinks like Truly and White Claw, craft brewers are branching out into once unfathomable territory to offer new beverage categories like hard seltzer and other flavored beverages.
Brand names are banished
Fewer cocktail menus are relying on brand name booze to sell cocktails. It's much more technique-driven now. Instead of a Booker's old fashioned, it's now just Bourbon — and may be a blend of several whiskeys.
Local estate ciders
A lot of orchards in Minnesota were planted four or five years ago. This is the year we expect to see more vintage-labeled, single-estate local ciders come onto the market.
To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.