Maybe I've just been hitting the California IPA's a little too hard this summer, but I've found myself suddenly feeling worn out from all the hops. My palate needs a break from the constant battering of perfumey, piney, lemon pithy, and grapefruity flavors. And this has got me thinking: what's next? Is there something new on the horizon?
I recently tried a modernized version of an ancient Egyptian ale at the 21st Amendment Brewery in downtown San Francisco. This was brewed without any hops, flavored only with dates, honey, and herbs. I expected it to be cloying and sweet, but instead found it refreshing, dry, and spicy. A refreshing change from uber-hopped beers, and yet still full of intriguing and complex flavors.
I'll always love a bitter IPA on a hot afternoon and hops as a brewing ingredient aren't going anywhere, but I'd also like to see more beers like this one. Beers made with different ingredients and flavors that push the envelope just as much as the hoppy California pale ales have been doing in the last several years.
What do you think? What would you like to see from craft beers?
Related: Rogue Ales Developing Beer Made with Yeast Found in the Brewer's Beard
(Image: Supertrooper/Shutterstock)
How to Cook Moist & Tender Chicken Breasts Every Time
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Straw Mat from The ...
Must-See Small Cool Homes: Week Two
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
This summer there seemed to be a huge surge in Saison/Farmhouse style ales in New England/Mid-Atlantic (can't speak for other places). There is also a good amount of people brewing the "session beer" philosophy - a lower ABV but equally flavorful and adaptable style. See Notch Brewing, or 21st Amendment Bitter American.
I would love more pilsners, lagers, or even craft lambics. Hops are far too bitter for my liking, and I've seen a lot of people overdo the hops - even in their porters!
I second the Saison style. Also Blondes. Bavarian Wits. SOME ambers. I've never liked IPAs, but until recently they've been one of my husband's favorites. But he, too, is suffering from hops fatigue and is opting for lighter, more session-type beers.
I have never gotten the West Coast uber hopped style. If it tastes like liquid aspirin why drink it?
I don't like bitter tastes much at all, so IPAs never did it for me. Plus at least in the bars I frequent, it seemed like the bitter-idolatry was getting really macho and silly-- "I'm drinking this IPA." "Well I'M drinking this DOUBLE IPA." Similar to how my teen brothers have jalapeno-eating contests.
I prefer pilseners, lagers and hefeweizen in the summer, porters in the winter. I haven't tried a Saison yet, but I'm going to seek it out... maybe after work today :)
Oh please, lord, deliver us from the foolish notion that more bitter=more better. If only it were just IPA's, but it seems some brewers feel like they have to add extra hops to EVERYTHING - even styles that don't call for it (hops have their place, but it is not in my scotch ale)
Saison, amber, pilsner, lager...whatever, just please get over the hops obsession.
Lest we forget, hops are a relative newcomer to the beer scene. For ~the first 2500 years, beers were flavored with other things - wormwood, heather, spruce and so on.
For a taste of that, see if'n you can find some of the beers from Williams Brothers brewing. They do a really good heather ale: http://www.williamsbrosbrew.com/beerboard/bottles/fraoch-heather-ale
I had their Alba - which uses spruce and pine (no, it doesn't taste like Pine-Sol, promise!) whilst sitting on the porch at my camp, surrounded by pine trees...and it was almost a religious experience.... :http://www.williamsbrosbrew.com/beerboard/bottles/alba
I've been enjoying shandys (shandies?) this summer! Particularly Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, and Shock Top's Lemon Shandy. Tasty, light, and refreshing!
I still drink IPAs and like bitter tastes, but am also a little hopped out. Not sure what will be next. Maybe sours will come into fashion?
It's still nearly triple digits where I live, so I'm not over the hoppy beers yet.
But I've also been enjoying British Real Ales (CAMRA) and will be going to a cask tapping this Friday where they are tapping a Mild. I can't wait!
definately the saison, and belgians
All of those beers that you're all wondering why people make? They're made by people like me, for people like me. I will never get tired of hops. That doesn't mean I don't like other styles of beer, but there is no such thing as too hoppy, and a change in season won't change that.
I will always love hoppy beers. But it does have to be done right.
I wish sour beers were more popular. They are fantastic for the Summer.
Belgium style seems to perpetually almost popular, but I think the vast majority of pretty poorly made. As if making them Belgium style was the goal without caring how well they are made.
And please, pretty please, don't let fruit flavored beers make a comeback.
IPAs rule supreme out here in Arizona, but around this time of year, I'm starting to get sick of them. This winter, I'm looking forward to breakfast stouts and smoked porters. I was recently in Seattle, and they seem to be pretty excited about Belgian style ales. I still think Belgian beers are sweet and deadpan (could be the ones I've tried). I'm hoping that cider takes off. Really dry, almost champagne-like. Fruit flavored beers would be a welcome change as long as they're done right. For me, that means fruit plus bitter hops...
Here in Portland, there have been a lot more sours, farmhouse, lambics, and Beligian-style beers. Nearly every brewery has its own NW IPA, of course, but I'm seeing a shift toward the sour spectrum, which I'm personally not 100% fond of (then again, I <3 hops). I'm hoping that this winter, we'll see a return of good and malty, well balanced beers (doubles and triples!). Feels like this summer has been for blondes, ambers, and fruity (in a good way) homebrews for me. Hope to keep that going next year, as well.
Been noticing sours here in the midwest for sometime as well. That and wacky adjuncts. Also there's definitely a lot of folks doing session beers a long side giant barrel aged beers (not just bourbon either, tabasco barrels, rum barrels, even aging on cedar and cherry wood).
So maybe the future is simply "everything". I won't complain. :)
I'm a hop lover and don't tire of the bitterness at all but one thing I've had more of this year are rye pale ales that have a maltier flavor underneath the usual hoppiness.