The days of only having a few beer options to pick from at the bar are long gone. Craft beers have officially taken over the taste buds of Americans, and the stats back it up. The craft beer market is worth almost $20 billion, and new specialty brews are being introduced every day to add to that whopping number.
Approximately 84% of craft beer drinkers choose what they drink depending on the season, and for good reason. A quality brewery releases a different craft beer for every season to match the flavor profiles you’d expect to taste during a certain time of year. Here are popular craft beers you should look for to make the most out of every season, no matter how hot or cold it gets:
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Fall: Fall is like Christmas for craft beer fans. Good craft beers for autumn include pumpkin flavors, and since it’s harvesting time for hops, you can’t go wrong with an extra-hoppy beer to really get that craft brew taste.
Winter: Bring on the spices. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice are common staples of winter craft beers. Many breweries get creative and use sweet flavor profiles, including chocolate and toasted almonds, to really spread the the holiday cheer.
Spring: American craft beers often have a delicate floral taste to them in the springtime as flowers are beginning to bloom. And of course, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the stouts are in full effect during the spring.
Summer: The most popular craft beers in the summer are the ones you can drink for hours while you’re outside by the pool or grilling up some burgers. Typically craft breweries put out beers with lower ABV percentages during the summer that have hints of delicious fruit flavors in them, such as orange and grapefruit.
The next time you sit down at the bar for happy hour, ask what kinds of popular craft beers they have on tap. If their answer is “none,” find the nearest craft beer pub and drink a brew that will make you wish the season never ended.