Just a short period of 6 years I embark into craft beers, I have seen the craft beer revolution and the beer evolution. The choices and varieties are way beyond our imagination as the beers are evolving.
Ok this apply to both commercial and craft beer, some may not agree but is a fact. Commercial beer are evolving to sell the beer to the messes. While the craft beer have build a group of followers that are always seeking for new style of beer.
Sadly, commercial beer could have more but they choose to stay with the advice from the people that don’t drink beer. But that’s not the point, commercial beer like Tiger also have came out with Tiger Radler which is beer with lemon flavour at 2%abv. The beer mostly target younger non drinking market to build more market share. Which is good, hopefully, this people will end up drinker beer and fall in love with craft beers 
As for the craft beer, the trend keep changing. From a period of barrel aged beer to a period of sour ale and lambic. The latest craze is session beer with full body yet maintain the moderate 5%ABV. I did manage to try a couple of my favourite session beer. Good stuff!
Why can beer evolve with ease?
Beer evolve easily as it’s brew, which it’s cooked before it’s start fermenting. Flavour still can be added after fermentation, this give beer the flexibility like no other alcohol. With it’s cooking and mixing method, the style of beer will be unlimited to explore. Just like early days beer doesn’t include hops. Earliest record of hops in beer was in 11th century.
So far spice ingredient from Asia are not fully feature in craft beer yet, there are still plenty of potential to bring the beer to different creativity and taste. IPA is kinda of the symbols for Craft Beers geek. Even IPA have change drastically depending of which country it’s from. I still haven’t tasted the German IPA which I highly anticipate, hope to get them soon.
Many of the older beer culture country still not fully export out their craft beer which I believe will bring on another dimension of flavour to craft beer world. Commercial beer are getting a bit boring but they also evolve throughout the years. Creating less calories, more selection of flavour and rebranding their labels.
Beer is a common drinks that is not wine, is not sake, is not cider but is a drink can represent a country which each brewery present different character of style and flavours in the beer.
So how come the revolution of craft beer are moving so slowly if it’s that great?
While commercial beer basically monopolise the market, craft beer take up about a single digit figure on the market share. While the brand are certainly not popular, the prices and the type of beer just got customer confuse.
This is where the revolution of craft beer is hard to kick in especially country like Malaysia where many have just tasted the commercial local and imported beer and hardly willing to try anything that are less famous. If only the mentality of beer drinking is like how they drink wine, then craft beer market will be booming.
Education of beer is another part that major brands try not to do so. They will advertise using the premium or exclusive making the consumer think what they drink are the best but in real is far from the fact. Some beer drinker even argue that stout is not a beer. While we still got long way to go before we can convert the market. Education is the key for more people to try different beer.
So will the consumer evolve?
Of course, my wish is yes. Looking at it, Malaysian and Singapore consumers will evolve faster if there are some famous people drinking craft beers. Just like in United States, the craft beer scene have increase double figure each year, after the White House did some home-brew. Not expecting any local MP doing so, maybe some Borneo minister will promote Tuak!
Beer will always evolve, for the beer head like me is like chasing after the wind. So many brands, so many type and so many have yet to try. For that said, I’ll still try my best to discover more beers and try to introduce it to our market. Hope for those who reading, you guys will do so too, let’s hunt for better beer! Cheers!
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