Craft Breweries Shave Off Calories

MILTON, Del.–Craft breweries have long turned up their noses at commercial beers, particularly the reduced-calories brews. But all that is starting to change, as craft beer makers are branching out into light beers, the New York Times reports.

“I think it’s only natural that [craft breweries are] going to look outside the traditional craft beer box,” said Benj Steinman, president of Beer Marketer’s Insights. “Business is hard right now. You can’t sit still.”

Craft beer has been gobbling up a share of the U.S. market, growing from 4.9% in 2010 to 13.2% in 2018, according to the Brewers Association. However, light beers still constitute the lion’s share of the industry, and growth of craft beers has begun to slow. Add in consumer interest in healthier lifestyles, and it’s no wonder that craft beers are eyeing the light beer market, as well.

Craft brewers need to adapt in order to stay relevant, according to Mike Mitaro, who leads the Brewers Advisory Group. “In the early 2000s, the millennial generation drove the growth of craft beer,” he said. “As people get into their 30s, they think more about calories and health and wellness. It’s a different mindset than when you’re in your 20s, so people are more apt to gravitate back toward lighter beer.”

But these craft breweries still want to produce artisanal brews, whether it’s a lighter version of their popular brands or adding in functional ingredients, like bee pollen or chia seeds. “I think these perceived healthy beverages will become an increasing part of the portfolio of a lot of craft brewers,” Mitaro said. “When you have 7,000 entrepreneurs all working for the benefit of their own company, you get a collective quick response that shakes out what works and what doesn’t.”