A phoenix from the ashes | On a road trip this June along the East Coast of the United States, it seemed that COVID-19 was but a distant memory. At each stop, restaurants and bars were filled to capacity. Reservations were mandatory, and even then, having to wait to be seated was common. Seemingly overnight, OpenTable®, Resy, and other digital reservation apps became essential travel accessories. Apparently, things are starting to look up for the hospitality sector.

Troubles and changes | From bottle and can shortages to shipping delays and soaring commodity costs, the pandemic has strained brewers’ global supply chains. Amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and a toughening of European legislation, brewers will need their ingenuity to adapt their supply chains in favour of greater localism.

Taxation and Japanese brewers | With a population of about 25 million [1], Australia is one of the least populated major beer markets. While it is far from the top of global beer consumption league tables, the country has emerged as a leading producer and consumer of beers in the Asia Pacific region. BRAUWELT International presents an overview of the Australian beer market and major players operating in the country.

Ready-to-drink | Cold brew has become the fastest growing segment of the ready-to-drink coffee market in the past three years, according to a research conducted by food and drink experts Zenith Global in June 2021.

From craft beer to alternative beverages | The food and drink scene in Portland, Maine, has been booming ever since Bon Appetit magazine named this small city of 67000 on the Atlantic coast, half-way between New York City and the Canadian border, the “2018 Restaurant City of the Year.” With its focus on fresh, local ingredients, only hours-old seafood and a constant influx of top-notch chefs, Portland has indeed become a foodie’s paradise. The city is also a beer mecca of long standing – with some 30 breweries in the area, headlined by famed, Belgian-oriented Allagash Brewing Company, plus dozens of beer-focused bars, such as Novare Res, a destination “bier café” with 33 taps and 400 different beers in bottles. And Portland isn’t done yet.

Dutch craft beer | What on earth have tulips got to do with beer? Very little it seems. Except perhaps for tulip shaped beer glasses. But there is one country in this world where tulips can serve as a metaphor for the phenomenal rise of craft breweries.

A new chapter | On 27th May 2021, the Grimbergen microbrewery opened its doors inside the famous Grimbergen Abbey near Brussels, Belgium. To celebrate, they have released three exciting new brews. It’s the first time in 200 years that beer has been brewed inside the walls of the abbey, with beer-making ceasing after the building was destroyed during the French Revolution.

South Africa | Together with Mexico and India, South Africa was one of just a handful of countries that prohibited alcohol sales as part of their fight against the coronavirus. After three extended blanket bans since March 2020 which were meant to ease hospital workloads and encourage the public to stick to social distancing rules, independent craft brewers are on the brink of collapse while the country faces the “mother of economic hangovers”.

Still trending | There is perhaps no other beverage on the market today that has captured the raw imagination of more health-conscious seekers of truth and gustatory adventures than the ancient brew of kombucha. This bacteria- and yeast-laden fermented tea, which reputedly emerged somewhere in Asia several centuries ago, has slowly been worming its way into contemporary culture.

Where will we go from beer? | The world has turned upside down in many ways when it comes to brewing. In the conflict between hard seltzer and craft beer, between ever stronger beers on the one hand and non-alcoholic brews on the other, we have to ask ourselves which direction brewers could be heading in. This article outlines the current situation and takes a look into the future. It is based on a presentation made to the 36th Biennial Conference of the Asia-Pacific Section of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (held virtually), February 2021.