Organic and Non-Barley Beers
American Beverage Trends Include Organic Beer, Wheat Beer
U.S. beer drinkers, brewers and beer importers are begnning to appreciate organic brews, as well as wheat and even sorghum-based, gluten-free beers.
Once willing to stick with the familiar, American beer lovers are beginning to embrace new trends. For instance, the organic movement is beginning to penetrate the brewing industry n the United States. "From the Fuller’s Brewery in England, we’re bringing in their Fuller’s Organic Honeydew," says Distinguished Brands President Jeffrey H. Coleman. "It’s more of a light and lively taste relative to most ales. Fuller’s created the product about four or five years ago and had very good success in the UK"
Anheuser Busch has been brewing and distributing a pair of organic beers nationally in the US since September of 2006: Wild Hop Lager and Stone Mill Pale Ale. "When we spoke to the organic community, they asked us to provide the two options; both for the variety and because it shows a commitment to the category," says says Pat McGauley, Vice President - Innovations for Anheuser Busch.
"They use 100% organic hops and barley malt, and we go through an extensive certification with the USDA," he adds. "The pale ale is a little hoppier, a little more bitter, and they’re both an amberish, bronzish color. They’re pretty-looking beers when they’re poured into a glass."
Brewing Beer Without Barley
Another key niche lies in alternatives to barley-based beer, like wheat beer. Distinguished Brands is even targeting a niche within this niche with Erdinger Non Alcoholic from Germany. "It’s a unique brewery in that they only make wheat beers, and it’s the only non-alcohol wheat beer available in the US," says Coleman.
Anheuser Busch has found another segment of the non-barley market with a sorghum-based beer called Red Bridge. It’s a reddish brew with a craft-beer flavor, but the real selling point is that it’s gluten-free. "It’s surprisingly successful because of consumers who are passionately looking for beer," says McGauley.
"These are folks who have wheat allergies or who are on a gluten- or wheat-free diet. A lot of folks get diagnosed later in life, and they’ve been told they can’t drink beer; this consumer group is so excited to have beer back in their lifestyles that they write to us, and they blog about it."
Of course, the gluten-free beer market will never grow beyond the three million or so Americans who can’t tolerate wheat, but no one yet knows how big an appetite North Americans may have for new tastes and ingredients. As interest grows in pairing beers with food and experimenting with the unfamiliar, the only safe bet is that the boundaries haven’t yet been defined.
