Beer fads that have passed

[tiredofbuyingbeer]

I hear people say that the murky/NE-style IPA craze is a fad. Calling something a "fad" implies that it will have its day of popularity and then it will fade. But what happens to beer fads after they fade away? I've been wondering this, and I realized that I'm not too aware of beer fads in the past that have seen their day.

I've heard some people say that black IPAs were a fad that hit their peak and have since declined. But what about other ones?

So post here if you remember any beer fads and roughly when they were popular.

(Also, I'm using "fad" in a way that doesn't imply that something lacks intrinsic merits. I want to know about things that were popular and then declined, not just things that were arbitrarily or inexplicably popular.)

 

[kh54s10]

I don't really know but when Black IPAs were new I brewed a couple in relatively short order, then only one since. But then again. I brew a lot of styles of beer, and only 1 or 2 a month. So I don't get back to a particular style for a while..

So me any decline is not really that the fad has run it's course. It is more that I have other styles to brew/ buy.

New England IPAs are getting a lot of talk right now but I have only tried one commercial 6-pack.

 

[bob1852]

Bud Ice.

 

[ericbw]

"Ice" beer in general.

 

[ericbw]

I think fads only affect the people that get deep into them. If you think black IPAs are the best thing ever, it might fade. But IPAs and dark IPA and session IPA are here to stay. Prob even NE IPA.

Fruit beers are one everyone loves to hate because they love it.

 

[kh54s10]

I think fads only affect the people that get deep into them. If you think black IPAs are the best thing ever, it might fade. But IPAs and dark IPA and session IPA are here to stay. Prob even NE IPA.

Fruit beers are one everyone loves to hate because they love it.

Had a raspberry flavored beer recently - YUCK!!!!

 

[jdonley]

the Macro "lime" infused beers.... wait, ... it's not over is it

 

[JonM]

Remember this?

Sure, it was the foundation for all the alcopops, Mike's, Zima, those hard sodas, etc., but what an abomination.

Yep, the Ice beers - Icehouse, Lite Ice (I had a bar mirror of that in my dorm room) Bud Ice, Leinie's Ice, etc.

Remember when everything was a draft? Miller Genuine Draft, Bud Draft (or was it Bud Ice Draft?)

Or Dry? Bud Dry, Michelob Dry, etc.

 

[jdonley]

I believe session IPA's filled a necessary hole in the market. I remember going to my local brew shop and being hard pressed to find a tasty IPA that wasn't below %7-%8 + ABV. I'm old, day drinking is a lifestyle change. I enjoy having a few beers throughout the day and I can't be hammering back %8 + ABV at 12pm on a Saturday afternoon and still function properly by dinner time. But that might just be me. Am I alone in this one?

 

[billl]

The whole "make everything imperial" fad seems to have slowed quite a bit.

 

[tiredofbuyingbeer]

I believe session IPA's filled a necessary hole in the market. I remember going to my local brew shop and being hard pressed to find a tasty IPA that wasn't below %7-%8 + ABV. I'm old, day drinking is a lifestyle change. I enjoy having a few beers throughout the day and I can't be hammering back %8 + ABV at 12pm on a Saturday afternoon and still function properly by dinner time. But that might just be me. Am I alone in this one?

Yeah, I've never liked that there were so many double/Imperial IPAs on the market. I often find them to be unpleasantly sweet for the style. For instance, i like DFH 60 minute, but I'm not a fan of 90 or 120.

I like high gravity beers in other styles--stouts, Scottish, Tripels, etc. The only problem is that they're evening sipping beers, and so for me they compete with other fine alcohol choices that are also well-suited to that purpose (whiskey, wine, etc.).

 

[tiredofbuyingbeer]

I think fads only affect the people that get deep into them. If you think black IPAs are the best thing ever, it might fade. But IPAs and dark IPA and session IPA are here to stay. Prob even NE IPA.

Fruit beers are one everyone loves to hate because they love it.

The only way I can think of fads affecting me personally is if it leads me to try something I otherwise wouldn't try. If some beer fad dies out, I could always keep brewing it if I wanted it.

Case in point: I would never have tried a black IPA if I didn't see them everywhere and get curious. Most I've tried I don't like, but I was fond of Wookey Jack. I might give brewing one a go since they're supposedly not making it anymore.

Also, I love fruit beers. I hope good ones stick around.

 

[TallDan]

American Amber Ales were the big thing for small craft breweries before hops took over and the IPA became the darling of the brewpub. Are they still around? sure, but it's hard to find a well made, balanced toward malty amber now.

 

[bob1852]

Tequiza

 

[tiredofbuyingbeer]

American Amber Ales were the big thing for small craft breweries before hops took over and the IPA became the darling of the brewpub. Are they still around? sure, but it's hard to find a well made, balanced toward malty amber now.

Sometimes I see brewpubs that pour amber ales that lean toward amber IPAs. I agree that this is an under-appreciated style nowadays. Same with brown ales.

 

[Lefou]

Seasonal fruit flavored beers keep coming back.
I feel the acid-based fruit beers belong in the lighter or cream ale styles. Acidic fruit doesn't seem to balance right in darker or high gravity ales, but maybe it's just me because I'll never buy or make a shandy willingly.
The first and last fruit seasonal that revolted me was the peach-flavored ale from Blue Moon. It was supposed to be a Belgian-style brown ale, but it reminded me of a thin, tart sour instead. I politely tried a sour berry ale from the LBHS, but ended up dumping the majority of the sample on my driveway when I got home.

 

[z-bob]

I got one of these once in a "mystery 6-pack". It wasn't as horrible as I expected. But I'd pay to not have to drink one again.

 

[JonW]

Most fads surge, then fade, but I think the NE style will have more staying power. The reason I think that is because the type of hop bursting the NE style IPA's bring gives you all that hop goodness that we like without the burn out on ever increasing IBU's. It seemed that for a while, IPA's were in an IBU race. That's great for us hop addicts, but it does really lead to burn out after a while. The murkiness/hazy aspect of the NE style beer seems to just be a side affect of all the flaked grains and hop bursting techniques. With these cloudy IPA's, you're getting a ton of the aromatics and flavors from the hops without huge bitterness. Add the mouthfeel that the flaked grains add (flaked oat, flaked wheat, flaked malt, etc) and you get that "juicy" mouth watering character with the hop goodness. Much like the session IPA, this makes for an enjoyable beer that you can enjoy a few without going overboard.

If this does have some staying power, it's going to need a sub-category in the BJCP. It's too hard to judge it as an IPA with the different clarity and mouthfeel as compared to standard IPA's.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I am fermenting a golden ale right now. While I was researching to create my recipe I saw references to the style being as ubiquitous as IPA is now, but it was in fashion pre 2000.

 

[jdonley]

Tequiza

Zima lol

 

[tiredofbuyingbeer]

Zima lol

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-zima-millercoors-0218-biz-20170217-story.html

 

[Barley_Bob]

All fads definitely ebb and flow in popularity. But that doesn't mean they ever go away. When I was a kid, yoyos were huge in school. Everyone had one. They aren't nearly as popular now (fidget spinners are in, if you didn't hear), but yoyos are still around.

I think all of the beer fads contribute to broader knowledge and variety in beer as a whole. Which is a good thing! Sure, the fads can get a little trite, but the new ideas are always fun.

Anyway, here's my fad submission for the group - Belgian table beer! That's right, I'm digging into the history books! The Belgian Trappist Monesteries used to brew a low alcohol (~3%) beer to serve to broad audiences. Those days are long gone, but the fads that came after - dubbels, tripples, and quads - are here to stay!

 

[Kent88]

I think the NE style will have more staying power. The reason I think that is because the type of hop bursting the NE style IPA's bring gives you all that hop goodness that we like without the burn out on ever increasing IBU's. It seemed that for a while, IPA's were in an IBU race. That's great for us hop addicts, but it does really lead to burn out after a while. The murkiness/hazy aspect of the NE style beer seems to just be a side affect of all the flaked grains and hop bursting techniques. With these cloudy IPA's, you're getting a ton of the aromatics and flavors from the hops without huge bitterness. Add the mouthfeel that the flaked grains add (flaked oat, flaked wheat, flaked malt, etc) and you get that "juicy" mouth watering character with the hop goodness...

If this does have some staying power, it's going to need a sub-category in the BJCP. It's too hard to judge it as an IPA with the different clarity and mouthfeel as compared to standard IPA's.

Not everyone is using unmalted grains to make them hazy, though, are they? I've been hearing that people throw a little flour into their boil to get that haziness. I don't think that practice will continue for very long.

I'm not a big IPA fan, but I also thought I'd take this opportunity to ask how the techniques for hop bursting are different between English, American, and NE IPAs? Is it really so distinct that it needs its own sub-category?

 

[JonW]

Not everyone is using unmalted grains to make them hazy, though, are they? I've been hearing that people throw a little flour into their boil to get that haziness. I don't think that practice will continue for very long.

I'm not a big IPA fan, but I also thought I'd take this opportunity to ask how the techniques for hop bursting are different between English, American, and NE IPAs? Is it really so distinct that it needs its own sub-category?

I'd say the proper way to do a hazy IPA is with grains/hops/yeast combinations that yield the result you're looking for. Adding flour for haziness is laziness and I would argue, likely sub-par in quality.

I think the attributes of the NE/Hazy IPA should be outlined as a sub-category of 21B so as to give guidance to judges on the proper attributes to look for. In most cases, haziness would cost you points unless that is an attribute that is to be expected. 21B is really there as a catch all for the different "fad" IPA beers that come along and already has 6 distinct defined types. If it's popular and is being submitted for it's unique qualities, there needs to be some guidance for the judging. Pretty easy for them to add guidance for a new defined type without changing anything in the BJCP categories.

As far as the hop bursting techniques, many NE style IPA's are starting with dry hops during high krausen which is generally different than most IPA dry hopping methods.

 

[Revvy]

In terms of homebrewing I was just talking about one today on here from just a couple summers ago- British Golden Ales, or Golden Bitters. Didn't last long, but i recall a loy of online chatter about them.

I remember Russian Imperial Stouts also being all the rage a few years back.

What's an equally interesting topic is what always seems to endure.... Seriously... IPAs are like the heavy metal of the brewing world, even if they fade in an individual brewer's repertoire or even palate (though in 30 years of beer drinking I still haven't tired of them, or 10+ years of brewing for that matter,) there's always more beer geeks coming online to drink or brew that love the happy hoppy!

 

[ericbw]

All fads definitely ebb and flow in popularity. But that doesn't mean they ever go away. When I was a kid, yoyos were huge in school. Everyone had one. They aren't nearly as popular now (fidget spinners are in, if you didn't hear), but yoyos are still around.

I think all of the beer fads contribute to broader knowledge and variety in beer as a whole. Which is a good thing! Sure, the fads can get a little trite, but the new ideas are always fun.

Anyway, here's my fad submission for the group - Belgian table beer! That's right, I'm digging into the history books! The Belgian Trappist Monesteries used to brew a low alcohol (~3%) beer to serve to broad audiences. Those days are long gone, but the fads that came after - dubbels, tripples, and quads - are here to stay!

Wait, I was hoping Belgian table beers would be the next fad, not an old one!

 

[Grossy]

An underlining definition here is what constitutes a fad. Are excessively over-hopped IPAs a fad (Hop-tea as I have heard them called)?

Are session IPAs (which seems to be an oxymoron), is that a fad? How long have they been around?

Look at it this way. A tollhouse walnut chocolate chip cookie is the pinnacle of cookie evolution. For hundreds of years chefs have made cookies, and this recipe is the result of natural selection, it reigns supreme over all other cookies; of this there is no debate.

But show up at your next Christmas party with a tollhouse walnut chocolate chip cookie made with green and red M&Ms and what have you got?

A tollhouse walnut chocolate chip cookie with chocolate chips that are too sweet and the balance of flavors is all wrong, in other words your cookies are “neat”, but they are not very good.

Messing with what has been perfected is fine. Hundreds of years from now people might be talking about black-session-rye-IPAs as normal beers, and wondering if those fruit beers will ever catch on.

 

[tiredofbuyingbeer]

Not everyone is using unmalted grains to make them hazy, though, are they? I've been hearing that people throw a little flour into their boil to get that haziness. I don't think that practice will continue for very long.

I'm not a big IPA fan, but I also thought I'd take this opportunity to ask how the techniques for hop bursting are different between English, American, and NE IPAs? Is it really so distinct that it needs its own sub-category?

How common is the flour thing, I wonder? I've only read of Tired Hands doing it, and I think at least part of their motivation is to intentionally troll critics of the hazy IPA craze. Basically, critics don't like the haze craze, so they go all-in for it.

I guess it's admirable as a statement, but I have doubts about that technique, too. The cook in me is thinking: "They should have at least made a roux first!"

 

[foam_top]

In terms of homebrewing I was just talking about one today on here from just a couple summers ago- British Golden Ales, or Golden Bitters. Didn't last long, but i recall a loy of online chatter about them.

I remember Russian Imperial Stouts also being all the rage a few years back.

What's an equally interesting topic is what always seems to endure.... Seriously... IPAs are like the heavy metal of the brewing world, even if they fade in an individual brewer's repertoire or even palate (though in 30 years of beer drinking I still haven't tired of them, or 10+ years of brewing for that matter,) there's always more beer geeks coming online to drink or brew that love the happy hoppy!

I've been annoyed with myself for drinking and purchasing too much IPA. Just last week when I went to the liquor store I preemptively prepared myself to purchase something other than an IPA... but I ended up walking out with with an IPA!

 

[foam_top]

I remember a few years back all my coworkers were raving on about "coronitas" but I haven't heard anything about them in years.

 

[jmcquesten]

Pumpkin beers? A local grocery store has had cases of Pumking on clearance for a while now. They'll probably have it till it's in season again. Let's all get over pumpkin beer already.

 

[ebstauffer]

Adding flour for haziness is laziness and I would argue, likely sub-par in quality.

Isn't flour simply unmalted finely ground wheat?

 

[Revvy]

Pumpkin beers? A local grocery store has had cases of Pumking on clearance for a while now. They'll probably have it till it's in season again. Let's all get over pumpkin beer already.

I personally love pumpkin beers... but I do wonder if, now that it seems like between late September til Christmas every brewery whether it's BMC or Craft has 2-3 different Pumpkin offerings on the selves.

For example last year I noticed that O'Fallon, who IMHO makes one of the best Pumpkin beers, had also released a Vanilla Pumpkin beer... I mean, Huh? And IIRC it wasn't that good.

I think it's always going to cycle around come fall, but I do wonder if the glut has peaked after this year....

 

[billl]

Isn't flour simply unmalted finely ground wheat?

Well yes, but you wouldn't toss unmalted wheat in the boil either, would you?

I think the "hazy" IPA thing is a fad. Now you've got people purposely trying to make their IPA hazy. I've seen some commercial versions looking like swamp water. If you use a technique to get the flavor your want and it results in a bit of haze, fine. Flavor comes first. Purposely adding junk just to make cloudy beer? That's just pointless and counterproductive.

 

[Barley_Bob]

Oh, blonde stout was a thing for like a day and a half.

 

[Barley_Bob]

Wait, I was hoping Belgian table beers would be the next fad, not an old one!

Well, you might get your wish! These old styles seem to have little revivals occasionally. And hey! You can be the one to start it! I think it'll really catch on if you call is a session Belgian ale.

 

[TallDan]

Oh, blonde stout was a thing for like a day and a half.

Yeah, that was a short lived fad.

 

[Kent88]

I think the whole pumpkin thing goes beyond beer fad, its consistently a seasonal thing for not just brewers, but pretty much anything that can be pared with pumpkin spice. You fancy coffee drinkers probably know all about it, but I think that even cherrios got into the pumpkin spice thing. From late September through Thanksgiving everyone is trying to get something with pumpkin out there.

Is a seasonal thing a fad? I wouldn't say so. This coming fall I bet a lot of those breweries will hop aboard the pumpkin train again. And probably the one after that, too. And maybe even after that...

Reminds me, anyone have a good pumpkin peach ale recipe out there?

 

[Revvy]

Oh, blonde stout was a thing for like a day and a half.

I think, wasn't that not to long ago? Wasn't that what was bumped off the hiplist by NEIPAs?

 

[Barley_Bob]

Yeah, that was a short lived fad.

I think, wasn't that not to long ago? Wasn't that what was bumped off the hiplist by NEIPAs?

I think they went out of vogue like 6 months ago? And yeah, NE IPAs have just dominated the forum ever since. Other than the version Guinness put out, I've never even seen a blonde stout (and I still haven't tried one), but there were quite a few running threads for a while there.