This decade has started off on the wrong foot. A global pandemic, economic downturn, inflation worries, culture wars, and a growing political divide have dominated news cycles for months now. But within all the chaos plaguing the 2020s thus far, it’s nice to take a reprieve when one can find it. For many, craft beer has taken on that role.
It’s actually not a far fetched idea. On the face of it, some may say it’s just beer. But it’s really not just about the beer is it? People (particularly Americans) have always gravitated towards these little luxuries, especially in times of uncertainty. Going to the movies, grabbing a Starbucks coffee to go, or even enjoying a craft beer, these are just some examples of temporary escape — a moment of bliss. It’s really no wonder then we reach for a cold one every once in a while. Craft beer is always great, in good times and in bad.

With that, predicting the future can be a tricky business. Going into the next year is a chance for something new.

Here’s our predictions for craft beer in 2022:
1) Getting Creative with Water. Water shortages will continue to hit drought-stricken territories (especially states like California). This directly impacts brewery operations and craft beer production. A need for water conservation and reuse, more integrated technologies and other self-sustainable methods will continue to be necessary for craft beer “survival.” Breweries will need to continue to flex their resourcefulness.

2) Weird Beer Gets Weirder. Craft beer (like anything else) can have a certain one-upmanship about it. Hence we get some funky ingredients and pretty weird flavors. Some examples of odd-ingredient beers include Avocado Honey Ale by Island Brewing Company, Coconut Curry Hefeweizen by New Belgium Brewery, and even Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout by Wynkoop Brewery (I think I’m gonna be sick). We expect this trend to continue even more as new breweries continue to take root throughout our libation nation. (see what I did there)

3) AI Takes Over Beer…Sort of. There’s a burgeoning field of artificial intelligence and machine learning. It’s expected to permeate more and more into business operations. Breweries are no exception. While we shouldn’t expect drastic changes next year, AI will continue to automate lower-level tasks. This should free up more time and resources for breweries to exploit such as broader expansion into new and existing markets, enhanced beer production, or improved quality control. However, some have taken the power of AI in beer making a little too far: IntelligentX uses artificial intelligence to create different varieties of beer. (artificial intelligence making beer? So this is how robots take over the world.)

4) Craft Beer Popularity Boom Rises. The craft beer industry will continue to boom in popularity. The 1990s had around 300 craft breweries at the time. Today we have almost 9,000 breweries nationwide. That’s around 30x more breweries now than just 3 decades ago. Or to put it another way, that’s an average of 250-300 new craft breweries every year. While the COVID pandemic may have slowed things down a bit, Americans still prefer to imbibe with good company rather than alone. Hence, we continue to seek out new places to gather; and what better place than a brewery.

5) New Tasty Beer Hotspot...Dallas-Fort Worth Over the past decade, DFW has seen an explosion in new craft breweries. The catalyst for this is almost entirely due to its rapid population growth and business-friendly environment. This has made DFW the fastest growing area in the nation (several years running now). As new residents continue to flood the metroplex (mostly fleeing from states like California, New York, and Florida), beer tastes and preferences have naturally followed as well. The confluence of new residents from all walks-of-life has created this unique brewery freedom — a beer experimentation of sorts. This little part of the country was primed and ripe for a craft brewery revolution. As a result, new beer styles and flavors have been birthed into the brewery scene that exists there today. But don’t just take our word for it. You’ll have to visit the Dallas-Fort Worth area for yourself.

And there you have it: 5 Craft Beer & Brewery Trends for 2022. If history has taught us anything it’s that you never know what the next year has to offer. And beer can take us there.

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