If you’ve never tried fruit-flavored beer, now is the time. There are more craft breweries and home-based artisans now, and all of them are reinventing a product that we know as the fruit beer.
In America, the most popular fruit-flavored beer in the 90s was raspberry. Today, there are more choices. Looking for a heavy brew with a touch of chili? What about a light beer with just a hint of peach? The point is that there is a lot to try, so consider visiting a craft brewery nearby.
Read on to find out three reasons why craft breweries are the perfect home for fruit beers:
1. Less Competition
Mass production of fruit beer is expensive due to the increasing cost of fresh fruit and the amount of processing they require. This is why craft breweries are taking advantage of this opportunity. They take the time to create fruit beers, and aren’t afraid to experiment. Breweries also mix old and new brewing techniques that are hard to reproduce on an industrial scale.
They get to carve this niche market even further by producing new flavors like chili beer, exotic ones like pink guava, and seasonal flavors like pumpkin beer.
2. Abundant Supply
There are a lot of fruit sources to consider: fresh fruit, extracts, juices, and puree. Each of these options has its own pros and cons. A brewery can go for any one of these sources depending on their needs and budget.
Fresh fruit can pack a lot of flavor, but it may contain microorganisms which can contaminate the brew. They are also seasonal and need to be used when they reach optimal ripeness.
Bottles of fruit extracts are cost-effective, as one drop can add a lot of flavor. However, some people find the fruitiness flat and artificial.
Fruit juice can add flavor and is relatively cheap. But it contains preservatives, which affects the brewer’s yeast, changing its capacity to produce alcohol. This may or may not be a good thing depending on the brewer.
A small brewery can’t go wrong by getting in touch with fruit puree suppliers. Puree can give fruit beer that fresh fruit flavor that most breweries are looking for. They also last longer and can be kept for months. The quality of beer you can create with it makes it worth the expense.
3. Brand Building
It’s a powerful thing when a brewer makes an identity for themselves through a single, perfected, fruit flavor. A flavor that’s locally sourced, and brings the pride of that community with it. Who wouldn’t love to taste a beer like that?
Farmers and independent artisans can build relationships with their local brewery. Certain ingredients like malt and hops can also be grown by local suppliers. The best suppliers are the ones who work together with the brewer to create specialty products.
The result would be flavors that are truly handcrafted and unique. Mass-produced fruit beers use mass-produced fruit and fruit extracts. The flavor just won’t be the same.
A Toast to a New Kind of Beer
Need a new reason to drink beer? By knowing more about fruit beers and where the fruit flavors come from, we hope you try one the next time you go out with your friends. Just remember, there are beer enthusiasts out there who are working hard to make the perfect brew for you, so don’t be afraid to try them all.
