The 7th edition of Québec’s Microbreweries Convention, created by the AMBQ is currently in full swing and IMS is on hand to discuss branding and product identification with its many participants. This very popular event also allows one to discover some brewing trends that could have an impact in the coming years.
Cans over bottles
More and more microbreweries are seeing the advantages cans versus bottles. In cans, beer isn’t exposed to UV light, which could possibly alter the taste. Also, the amount of oxygen found in a can is much less than what can be found in a bottle. This allows the beer to keep longer. Moreover, thanks to its lightness, a can is less expensive to ship. Finally, aluminum can production creates 35% to 49% lower carbon emissions than bottle production. In 2010, cans accounted for 33.4% of beer sales in Canada. They are now at 54.7%, and growing. In Quebec, the same trend can be observed.
A new event to boost the popularity of Quebec beer
On August 26th, 27th and 28th of this year, the AMBQ launched a new event to promote and celebrate Quebec craft beers: the IBU or “Immersion Brassicole Unique” (a pun on International Bitterness Units, the accepted measurement of the bitterness of beer ). This three-day tasting event allowed the public to discover, all in one place, beers from regions such as Quebec, Montreal and the Outaouais. In addition to the regional thematic, the beers were also categorised and presented by taste. There were, among other things, stands for sour beers, very popular IPA beers, and fruity beers.
Hopefully the AMBQ will decide to repeat this friendly and festive event each year, to help get the word out about Quebec craft beers!
New brewing trends in the USA
South of the border there is no lack of audacity, and some craft brewers are pushing the limits of what could be considered reasonable brew making! One particularly marked trend: beers flavored with soft liquors, such as “hard root beer”, “hard ginger ale” and even “hard orange cream”. An ideal way to please your inner child/adult!
Another trend is so called “nitro beer” or nitrogen carbonization, with brew categories such as White Ale, IPA and Stout. The use of nitrogen gives beers a creamier feel as well as a distinctive taste. For the moment, this type of beer can be found either in bars or directly at craft breweries. It seems that canning or bottling will soon follow this year.
The beer industry will continue to see innovations in manufacturing processes. That’s simply because with beer, almost everything is possible!
If your beer is truly unique, then it’s time you marketed it that way!
Consult with branding and identification specialists (that’s us) for more information!
