The Brewers Association (BA) published its 2022 beer style guidelines with revisions that included tweaks to several styles and clarifications to language used to describe juicy and hazy beers.
“A few examples of significant updates include adding several hybrid India Pale Ale styles to the Experimental IPA category; modernizing Session Beer and Session IPA to adjust the lower end of ABV downward to 0.5%, as brewer interest in lower ABV beers has increased rapidly over the past two years; and standardizing language on Juicy or Hazy Styles based on brewer and judge feedback and adding verbiage about ‘hop burn,’” the BA wrote in a press release.
The BA’s 2021 style guidelines set ABV ranges for session IPA at 3.7%-5% and for general session beers at 3.5%-5%. Both ranges are now 0.5%-5%. Belgian-style session ales’ ABV range did not change and remains 2.1%-5%.
New additions to the Experimental IPA style include variations fermented with Brettanomyces and lager yeast, which includes the cold IPAs that have been gaining in popularity.
Style guidelines from the BA and the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) are the most widely used descriptions of beer styles. The BA reviews and revises its guidelines annually, but did not add any new styles for 2022.
“As the craft beer landscape continues to evolve, we want to ensure that our Beer Style Guidelines continue to be a trusted resource worldwide and are in stride with the innovation that continues to be brought forward,” BA competition director Chris Swersey said in the release. “We took 2022 as a year to focus on housekeeping, to address some discrepancies within the existing beer styles, and for a small number of significant updates to certain beer styles.”
Kona Brewing Opens New Hawaii Production Brewery
Kona Brewing Co.’s new 30,000 sq. ft. brewery in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, opened this month, increasing the production capacity of its original facility tenfold, to 100,000 barrels annually, reported West Hawaii Today.
The $20 million project includes a 220-cans-per-minute canning line, and 1,211 solar panels to partially power the brewery. All the beer produced in the brewery will remain in the state.
Kona moved operations from its original facility nearby in March 2021, but marked the official opening of the brewery on February 14, 2022.
In June 2020, Portland, Oregon-based Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) sold Kona’s Hawaii business to the private equity firm PV Brewing Partners, following the planned merger of CBA with Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B). The sale of the Hawaii operations was valued at $16 million.
CBA’s deal with A-B closed in October 2020, giving the world’s largest beer manufacturer rights to the Kona brand in 49 states and international markets.
Beer Institute CEO Comments on How Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Impacts Beer
Barley from Ukraine accounts for 20% of beer’s usage, Jim McGreevy, president and CEO of the Beer Institute, told WISN.
“It’s one of the top five global producers of barley, so brewers, particularly at a global level, will be watching the supply and price of barley,” he said.
Ukraine is in the midst of military conflict after Russian forces invaded the country late Wednesday. If the conflict impacts supply chain, beer producers may have to increase prices.
Bart Watson, chief economist for the Brewers Association (BA), talked about supply chain on the Brewbound Podcast last month. He noted that while the average index of key beer costs (barley, paperboard, aluminum cans and general freight) have steadily increased since 2020, the price of beer has remained relatively the same, suggesting “something has to give.”
BI: January Beer Shipments Decline -5.6% Year-Over-Year
January beer shipments to wholesalers decreased -5.6% compared to January 2021, as brewers shipped an estimated 14,686,155 barrels, according to the Beer Institute (BI).
The decline is “somewhat expected,” said Danelle Kosmal, VP of research for the BI, “as shipments were relatively strong in Q4 of 2021, with consumer demand lagging in comparison.”
The majority of states (40) recorded year-over-year declines for the month, including California (-9.6%), Florida (-9.7%), North Carolina (-12.9%), New York (-6.3%) and Michigan (-12.5%).
Alaska (+10.9%), Arkansas (+0.8%), D.C. (+15%), Louisiana (+11.8%), Massachusetts (+1.7%), Nevada (+9.8%), New Hampshire (+1.1%), North Dakota (+8.5%), Oklahoma (+3.2%) and West Virginia (+2.4%) recorded the only shipment increases.
The BI’s February 2022 State Shipments Report will be released March 31.
Proposed Maryland Amendment Would Allow Beer and Wine Sales at Grocery Stores
The ability for grocery stores to sell alcoholic beverages may be on Maryland’s ballot this November, following two legislative filings this month, The Daily Record reported.
Senate Bill 603, sponsored by Sen. Cory V. McCray (D-Baltimore City), and House Bill 506, sponsored by Del. Lily Qi (D-Montgomery), would amend the state’s constitution and eliminate its ban on beer and wine sales in grocery stores.
The amendment would have to be approved by the General Assembly to be placed on the ballot. If the measure gets the votes, changes would be put in place July 1, 2024, according to The Daily Record.
Last year, the two lawmakers collaborated on a similar bill that would allow grocers in “food deserts” to sell beer and wine in an effort to support areas in need. Qi withdrew the bill in March.
Maryland voters have shown support for grocery alcohol sales in the past. A 2020 poll from the alcohol reform group Marylanders for Better Beer and Wine Laws (MBBWL) reported that two-thirds of the 251 respondents supported chain store alcohol sales. Nearly three-quarters of respondents supported wine (73%) and beer (71%) in stores, while more than half (56%) supported liquor sales.
Redemption Rock Signs on With Craft Collective in Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts-based Redemption Rock Brewing has signed with Stoughton, Massachusetts-based Craft Collective for statewide distribution outside of its hometown.
“We’ve always sought to bring joy to our customers — be it through our mission, our array of beers, or our creative artwork — and we want to bring that joy to more people across “Craft Collective has unmatched experience and passion for craft beer, and we know our brand is in great hands with them.”
Redemption Rock will continue self-distribution within Worcester and neighboring towns, but Craft Collective will sell the brewery’s products throughout the rest of the Bay State. Now-shuttered Night Shift Distributing previously distributed Redemption Rock’s offerings in the eastern part of the state from summer 2020 until fall 2021.
“After the NSD sale, we continued our self-distribution, including to some key accounts around Boston and Metrowest,” marketing director Dan Carlson told Brewbound. “But with this new partnership with Craft Collective, we’re going to focus our self-distribution efforts closer to home – Worcester and the surrounding towns.”
For 2022, Redemption Rock aims to increase production 25%-30% and to package at least 1,000 barrels. In 2020, its first full year in operation and the most recent year for which data is available from the BA, Redemption Rock produced 640 barrels.
“We’re looking at this partnership with Craft Collective as a way for us to develop new product, sales, and marketing strategies that’ll help us grow even more in the future,” Carlson said.