What type of beers and abvs are consumers enjoying in 2024 and which less so? And what’s behind such shifts? We spoke to some of the uk’s leading bottleshops to find out.
The beers we, as brewers, like to produce are not always the styles that resonate most with consumers.
But as a business, it’s imperative to know what is selling well and what’s not. And also, the possible reasons behind these decisions.
With that in mind, we’ve enlisted the expert help of four bottleshop owners to share their experiences. Marius Andrici is the owner of A Pint of Hops in Acton, West London, Linda Birch is the owner of Brewery Market in Twickenham, Dave and Naomi Hayward own A Hoppy Place in Windsor while Krishan Rajput is the owner of Stirchley Wines & Spirits. Here they tell us what’s hot – and what’s not – in the world of beer.
What styles have been selling well?
“We strive to maintain a diverse range of products, with styles that definitely vary by season. The types of styles that sell well are somewhat influenced by our own preferences in how we curate the fridges,” explains Linda Birch.
“Our team has quite varied tastes, so we aim to satisfy everyone’s preferences. IPAs always stand out as top sellers. Hoppy beers with Citra or Mosaic hops are especially popular among both our regular customers and new visitors.”
She generated a ‘tag’ report from their till system to provide insights into their most popular selling (by quantity) styles.
This report covers the period from 6 June 2023 to 7 June 2024. Coming in first was ‘Session’ which covers beers between 3.6% and 5.5%, ‘Strong’ beers between 5.6% and 7.9% were third, low alcohol in eight and very strong beers in excess of 8% were tenth.
According to Krishan Rajput, locality is still a prime influence with their customers in terms of sales, but they are also seeing a rise in sales of both low/no and also Germanic brewed beer. “If we look at it stylistically, however, then there is a trend very much towards the paler end of the spectrum. That would include IPA, Pale Ale and Lagers rather than the more specialist style for example; Saison, Blonde, Mixed Fermentation,” he says.
For Dave and Naomi, they continue to see New England pale ales, lagers, and cask beer (especially bitter) perform the best for, whilst headline beers such as strong New England IPAs and Double IPAs are exciting to consumers, but ordered with less repetition and less frequency.
“We’ve specifically seen a lot more demand for modern fruited sour beers with beer from Yonder and Vault City leading the way,” they explain.
“I think their approachability to people who are not traditionally beer drinkers is really important for the sector overall, and goes some way to delta-ing out the loss of customers due to the cost of living crisis, simple aging, and many other reasons we’re all very familiar with at the moment.”
At A Pint of Hops, Marius Andrici says the demand for classic traditional lagers has been increasing year-on-year but in the last 12 months has become a number one seller at the shop.
“The bottled 500ml German lagers in particular, but also in keg and at the shop we do anywhere between 2-4 keg of lagers every week,” he says. “Sometimes some keg lagers finish on the day that’s for a 30L / 50pints.”
He adds: “The selection with the breweries and suppliers is so wide that very few times we get the same keg in over the course of a year.
“The canned lagers of some known German & Czech breweries have also proven popular at the shop with some UK breweries breaking into the market that for a long time has been dominated by the German and Czech breweries which haven focusing on lagers for centuries.”
What changes are you seeing in the market?
For Andrici, the demand for hoppy beers has been dropping and changing in particular on the higher end of the ABV scale. He says that IPA’s & DIPA’s the 4-5% ABV Pale and session IPA’s are still the popular option but have been overtaken by lagers.
“Where the demand has seen an increase for hoppy beers is for the more Classic West Coast American IPA & Pale Ales. The bitter, piny & grapefruity,” he explains.
Birch adds: “West Coast IPAs and hoppy beers with higher IBUs are solid performers and are steadily growing in popularity. However, it’s interesting to note the wide variety of interpretations from different breweries within this style category.
“Alcohol-free options are selling exceptionally well. We have the largest selection of no and low brews in our area, dedicating four shelves to these products.
“Typically, new parents and young adults prefer these styles, making them a significant part of our sales.
“I’d also like to highlight the growing interest in experimental UK hops. These hops are starting to gain attention, though they haven’t yet surpassed the popularity of their US and NZ counterparts. Nonetheless, their increasing presence is an exciting development in the craft beer scene.”
For Rajput, he is noticing a shift, albeit a small one towards sweetened beers; “specifically a change in how the stylistic lexicon is applied to certain styles of beer”. He explains: “Sour beers will be requested on a regular basis, however, the expectation is in reality a request for a fruit forward soured beer and those that are analogues for sweet shop type or desert style products.
“Rather than established beer styles (Lambic/Mixed Fermentation/Wild Ale) that are more typically related to the idea of “sour beer”.
“Regardless of this we continue to champion both schools of thinking and will always try to engage and inform customers on this subject.”
At A Hoppy Place, Dave says price sensitivity is such that canned, bottled beer and stronger beer styles have by way of sales volume been in decline. “Your ‘average’ consumer is definitely put off by some of these prices and it’s feedback my team hear more and more often. A £4 can four years ago is likely a £6 or even £7 can now,” he explains.
“This leads naturally to a shift towards more approachable styles by price, which tend to be lagers, less aggressively hopped pale ales and of course cask ale.
“In our Maidenhead site, we’re selling far more cask than we were 12 months ago, whereas we’re ordering in significantly less IPAs above 6% in both can and keg.
“There’s definitely a ‘craft expert’ customer who still seeks out these beers, but on average – approachability is becoming more of a factor certainly.”
Which styles perform below expectations?
“At least in our bars, we are seeing a huge drop in demand for both imperial stouts, and especially for milkshake IPAs and the like. In effect, beers that are heavily sweetened are significantly less popular than they were two years ago,” says Dave.
“I feel like the previous wave of new craft beer drinkers, who have now matured out to some degree, has not been replaced by another, younger generation.
“And I remember being very excited by the most extreme of flavour when I first started out before maturing into drinking larger volumes of less strong, more traditional styles.”
He adds: “It feels like there’s a bit of a lack of excitement coming into beer at the moment and we’re not able to ‘hook’ new consumers in quite the way that we were five years ago, which might explain some of this.”
Linda echoes this. “Strong beers and high ABV stouts are definitely underperforming. I believe this trend is largely due to the increased prices resulting from the beer duty changes.
“These higher costs make these beers less accessible to many customers, which is a pity because they offer such rich and complex flavours,” she says. “Despite their decline in popularity, I still believe they hold a special place in the diverse landscape of craft beers.”
She also adds that she’s personally quite disappointed that Sabro beers did not perform very well. “Sabro hops have such a unique flavour profile that I find exceptionally delightful. It’s unfortunate that these beers haven’t resonated as strongly with our customers. Additionally, Sour IPAs seem to have almost disappeared from the market,” says Birch. “For example, “Mash Up The Jam” from Collective Arts is one of my favourite beers, blending tartness with hoppy bitterness in a perfectly balanced way.”
And in Acton, Andrici says that in terms of format the small can packaged craft beer selection like pale ale, IPA & craft lager has seen a decline with many customers opting for the bigger packaged option. “In terms of styles the sours (modern sours & classic Belgian sour beers like saison and lambic) and dark beers (porters & stouts) selection has also been underperforming from previous years, with options in kegs taking much longer to shift sometimes five times longer or more in comparison to the more popular options like lagers and pale ales,” he says.
How are no-and-low beers performing?
No and low options are clearly in high demand. From 1 December to 3 February, Brewery Market’s Google AdWords campaign for no- and low received 131,000 impressions, significantly outperforming their standard craft beer ads, which garnered only 41,000 impressions. This data underscores the growing interest in lower-alcohol alternatives, says Birch.
At A Hoppy Place, Hayward explains: “It’s a fact that now 27% of Gen Z do not drink alcohol at all, up 4% on 4 years ago.
“Meanwhile, our core drinkers (ages 35-54) are getting older, moving into retirement, and overall – less people are drinking alcohol as a society. So I do indeed see NoLo as really important for our sector, alongside, naturally, welcoming vibrant hospitality spaces that are in no way exclusionary to any demographic.
“It’s critical that all people feel welcome in modern pubs – whatever they drink – whatever their sexuality. So not just NoLow but making sure that even what I’d call a bleeding edge craft bar also has good wine, good cider, good spirits, teas coffees, and that no drink is a faux-pa. “I think people are intimidated by both ‘very crafty’ pubs and also the traditional ‘boozer’. They feel it doesn’t represent them. And if one person in a group of six doesn’t want to visit your bar or pub then the whole group won’t come in.”
He adds: “With that in mind, yes, we’ve seen hugely more demand for alcohol free. In 2022, we trialled an AF line on draft in Windsor for Dry January, people were intrigued.
“But demand was relatively low. In 2023 we brought it back, and demand was such that we kept it on, and did the same in Maidenhead. We now always have alcohol free in both sites on draft. This is in addition to an increasing amount of shelf space for alcohol free in our fridges.”
According to Rajput, the company’s long-established range of low/no and gluten free beer is being increasingly well received. This area of specialist brewing, he says, continues to go from strength to strength especially with younger drinkers being very much more conscious of mindful living practices.
While Andrici is also seeing increased demand in this space. “No and low consumption has been increasing with some customers shifting to either longer dry periods or a 50/50 drinking experience with a mix of no and low and the easy 4-5% ABV options,” he says.
who has stood out?
“We’ve been working with many breweries over the past five years and many stood out, some come and go some return and stay a bit longer but then go again and some have been there from day one,” says Andrici. “The Kernel has been one brewery we been working since day one that we been working close to and we been enjoying their beers the hoppy and dark beer selection being the most popular styles for us.
“One beer that stood out in particular was the Victorian Mild, a collaboration with Redemption. I first had it on cask at The Sutton Arms and when was available we got it in bottles at the shop. We are looking forward for its release again at some point in the future.”
And elsewhere in Europe, Czech brewery Vinohradsky Pivovar has been a popular name for about four years since we’ve been getting them in. Their cans have been popular with customers that love to explore the lager selections and deviate a bit more from the “safe” options.
For Linda and the team at Brewery Market, Azvex is “undeniably outstanding; they can brew no wrong”.
She explains: “According to a report from Untappd at the SIBA BeerX convention, Azvex, along with Mash Gang, were the two fastest-growing breweries in the UK in terms of check-ins, comparing data from 2022 to 2023 and the early part of 2024.
“Personally, I have yet to encounter a single disappointing beer from either of these breweries. Their consistent quality and innovative approaches have clearly resonated with beer enthusiasts.”
Also impressing Linda is The Hastings Project. “This cuckoo brewery brings a unique touch to craft styles by incorporating well balanced malt into their brews, which sets them apart. Additionally, they actively support charities in the Hastings area, making their beers not only delicious but also socially impactful.”
And locally, she’s been impressed by Valtona Mead in Walton-upon-Thames. “They are making exquisite meads. This small producer expertly blends traditional techniques with innovative flavours, offering a range from classic honey meads to adventurous varieties infused with herbs and fruits,” she says. “Valtona Mead has earned a loyal following for its commitment to quality, appealing to both enthusiasts and newcomers alike.”
At Stirchley Wines & Spirits, Rajput says Simple Things Fermentations continue to be a fantastic producer and one they feel is always worthy of keeping an eye on. Especially their “Big Ideas” series of beers that playfully spin on classic styles.
He adds: “Ideal Day Family Brewers were very much a brewery we had our eyes on from the moment that they announced their intentions to open a brewery.
“James and Nia (Rylance) have expertly crafted a brewery that is both intriguing and approaches beer from an entirely unexpected direction.
“If we were pressed to pick a standout from the stock we have so far then we have to say their “Ester Beer” First Steps is truly stupendous.”
For Dave, Naomi and their team, they say it’s astounding to see how well Vault City are doing. He says: “In a market that didn’t really exist five years ago in the UK they’re now on their way to becoming Europe’s largest producer of fruited and sour beer.
“The team have a very complete strategy. A great many breweries are good at the beer, but maybe let themselves down when it comes to reach, branding, marketing or so on. Vault City seem to have positioned themselves perfectly, and I’m sure they’ll break out of ‘craft’ and into full mainstream acceptance in the next couple of years.”
He adds: “Secondly, Indie Rabble Brew Co. Who of course I have a holding interest in. Windsor’s newest brewery and currently the UK’s Best New Independent Brewery according to SIBA. The four co-owners have taken their (my!) 30 years of collective experience in beer production and sales and launched a brand that in just nine months selling beer has found it’s product in every part of the country.
“The beer I’m most proud of is “Big Stick Energy” – a recent collaboration with Indie having invited Amity Brew Co’s Russ Clarke down to brew. It’s a 9.2% imperial West Coast and for me a real throwback.
“To beer produced before operating profits and margins were quite as critical as they are today. To the initial US explosion of craft and the origins of craft beer both there, and in the UK. It’s beer like that that got me excited by beer, rather than just drinking macro lager, and I’m so proud of what we’ve produced.
“Of course, Indie is still a very young brewery. But I’d like to think we’re brewing beer that belies that youth. I’d suggest people pick up a can and give us a try, be it the Big Stick, or anything else we’ve put out there.”
