Mid-Year Beer Review: 2021

As the yummy summer season is upon us (at least here in North America!) I wanted to take some time to spotlight a few trends that have caught my eye in the first half of the year. 

1. Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Beer: While we’ve seen a lot of nitro beers emerging over the past few years, the inflated consumer appetite for cold brew coffee in the summer is clearly a match made in patio/park hanging heaven! Of course, the beer I wanted to highlight here is hailing from the iconic Guinness brewery. “Guinness Nitro Cold Brew Coffee promises to be a treat for fans of Guinness and coffee lovers alike, as it transforms the flavors of the popular nitro stout with the rich taste and aroma of coffee.” Fun fact, North America is the largest producer and consumer in the cold brew coffee game accounting for about 73% of the market. 
2. Seltzer Szn (Season): It’s undeniable, there’s something about seltzers that consumers simply adore! We’ve even seen a few not-so-April-fools-jokes become real products like BrüMate and Crook & Marker's Hard Pickle Seltzer that began as an April Fool's Day joke but has since turned into a real product - a product that I can get behind (yum!). But I digress, this article is about beer/breweries. One pivot that I've noticed is breweries getting into the seltzer game, which is a great way to expand an existing beer portfolio and tap into a different consumer demographic. A brewery that’s on top of the trend here in Toronto is Great Lakes with their new zero-sugar, RTD (ready to drink) spirits. They currently have one vodka soda with citrus and one gin soda with key lime. A dream born at the brewery about a decade ago has fully come to life in time for the summer - check out the story here.
3. Scientific Aroma Hop Creation: “Global hop supplier Yakima Chief Hops [introduced] the Cryo Pop Original Blend as its newest product and it was intentionally created ‘to solve the common brewing problem of how to carry raw hop aroma into finished beers.’” These amazing lab-created hops are already being used in many breweries across Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, etc. Watch this video and I guarantee you’ll feel inspired! 
4. Activated Charcoal Beers: Wellington Brewery in Guelph Ontario has released a delicious (yes, I’ve had it, and yes, delicious is the correct single word descriptor) charcoal beer in time for the summer season. It’s called Crushing Depths and is made with local Ontario blueberries, alongside Barbe Rouge and Mosaic hops. On the can are the words “Don’t Yuck My Yum”, which at the highest level simply means what it says, don’t say mean things about the food I eat because I like it and that’s all that matters. However, it’s actually so much deeper than that, essentially, respect people's choices, experiences, and feelings - from what they eat/watch to who they are/love! This is something that came up in a Diversity, Equality & Inclusion meeting within my company (: 
5. Beer & Whisky Partnerships: While barrel-aged beer is not a new trend at all, this partnership is! Molson & Wiser have partnered to bring “a whisky-flavored lager dubbed Common Bond into the industry mix. The new beverage is described as ‘a lager brewed with the rich flavor and sophistication of a dignified Wiser whisky, paired with the approachability and familiarity of a classic Canadian beer.’” I have not tried this, please report back to me if you have a Common Bond encounter! 
6. Cheers for a Cause: Before I joined the beer community (as an official beer Instagrammer, beer student, and beer writer), I never realized how many beers/breweries support amazing and unique causes. I rarely go a day without learning about a new initiative that is supported by the sale of beer. Sometimes proceeds will go to local animal shelters, environmental initiatives, children’s hospitals and more. The list truly goes on, but one that I wanted to highlight here is Belgian Moon’s new Honey Daze beer! This Candian honey-infused beer was created just in time for National Bee Day (March 20) and helps to support the bees. The brewery “partnered with @dancingbeeequipment to help plant 100,000 pollinator flowers in their new pollinator garden”. They “will be planting one pollinating flower for every can produced up until #WorldBeeDay on May 20.” 

Bonus! My last piece of content is rooted in the more literal definition of trend, which is defined as “a change in general direction”. But now, I want to talk about diversity and inclusion becoming more prominent in the beer industry. I know more work needs to be done for it to be certified as equitable, but instead of looking at the shadows, I want to look at the beer and breweries that usher in the light! 

Summer is a sign of many happy events, including Pride! June is Pride month (and it's also National Indigenous History Month in Canada).

When it comes to Pride month, this is a time when companies fall into two camps, those that truly embrace and support the LGBTQQIP2SAA community and those who take advantage, using symbols (like rainbows) that appear to be supportive, but ultimately are not - this is known as pink-washing. But, let’s talk about the former and a brewery that is genuinely supporting the LGBTQQIP2SAA community. Spearhead, a Kingston, Ontario brewery recently launched their (delicious) Queen of Wheat brew. “Queen of Wheat joins forces with activist and drag performer Rowena Whey (who adorns the can as a stunning cartoon) and The Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) to offer a portion of the proceeds from sales of each case to support CCGSD’s education efforts.”

Not only is this partnership a trifecta of awesome, the beer is amazing and I, personally, am so happy and proud to see not just a flag or rainbow on the can, but a beautifully diverse icon taking center stage. 

I will also point out that brands need to be supportive of LGBTQQIP2SAA year-round, and to that, I have some good news. I believe Spearhead is looking to have this beer in stock for all seasons! Woohoo!

So, did I save the best for last? I think maybe I did (;

There you have it! Six (plus one) beer trends that emerged in the last six months. Thanks for reading my banter (: Let me know what you think of these beers or maybe share with me some other cool trends I might have missed.

Cheers,