Our friends in Eugene, 16 Tons Taphouse and Bottleshop, are throwing a fest for the #1 craft beer style. The simply-named IPA Fest is coming up on March 10th and 11th and will feature 70 different IPAs, including 18 on tap. Confirmed beers include: Boneyard Notorious, Dogfish Head 120 Minute, Russian River Pliny the Elder, Green Flash Palate Wrecker, Avery Maharaja, Hopworks Ace of Spades, Block 15 Six Hop Wonder, and Brewer's Union Union Dew (cask).
Ezra,
ReplyDeleteIPA seems ubiquitous in the Pacific Northwest, but it's certainly not the #1 craft beer style is it? Even if we don't count Sam Adams, Widmer, and Red Hook in the Craft category. Even if we through out Fat Tire and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. The BA is certainly not ready to exile Mirror Pond, Black Butte, Alaskan Amber, Anchor Steam, Dead Guy Ale... They even consider Shiner Bock a Craft Beer.
Seems like most of the small breweries we love in the PNW are selling more IPA than any other category. India Pale Ale may seem overplayed at times to those of us immersed in Craft Beer but I think it's just getting to be truly popular.
- Mike
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI believe there was a report that Beervana wrote about showing IPA as now the #1 CRAFT beer style. Writing from my cell phone now or I would look it up.
Here is the link to the article: http://beervana.blogspot.com/2011/09/americas-best-selling-craft-beer-styles.html and I'm sure their stats are fine. But I think it's fairly misleading. It makes one think that IPA is possibly the majority of craft sales. So it edged out "Pale Ale" in sales but IPA is not even a #1 seller for more than 2 of the top ten craft brewers... Boston Beer, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Spoetzl, Deschutes, Independent Brewers, Matt, Bell’s, Harpoon, Boulevard, and of course omitting Widmer. I think we get a bit carried away with categorizing beer styles anyways. My point is that super hoppy beers still account for a relatively small percentage of overall beer (even craft beer) sales. Seriously - Amber Ale + Amber Lager outsells IPA according to the stats. Also these stats are only from "supermarkets, big box retailers, and convenience stores."
ReplyDeleteI hope I'm not being a dick. Shit, I hope IPA is the #1 style of Craft Beer. It would be cool if Stout or Sours or Saisons accounted for enough sales to make it on the chart.