Innovators are taking their cues from trendy neighboring categories such as RTD cocktails, coming up with new drinks that can appeal to a new audience that might traditionally have been put off beer.
Such innovations might not be for beer purists: but they could prove essential for brewers who need to diversify their portfolio and accommodate different tastes.
Beer and beyond
While a classic in itself, beer also offers the perfect base for future development.
It is a refreshing, lower alcohol beverage: with a taste profile developed thanks to the presence of hops and the brewing process.
And its by innovating on this base that brewers can diversify and offer more brews for more people.
Givaudan has been developing a range of solutions to do this: showcasing them at drinktec in Munich this year.
Its concepts include a hop water (using natural hop flavoring and TasteSolutions natural flavoring); a wine-inspired beer-mix (a 3.5% ABV beer-wine hybrid that blends the quality of beer with the complexity of wine); a mango lychee crush (a sour beer style with the exotic flavors of mango and lychee to create a mildly sour base) and a cocktail inspired beer-mix (blending the rich flavors of rum with fruit and beer to create a cocktail-like experience).
And last but not least is beer slushies: a drink that can bring beer to new audiences and occasions.
Such innovations are designed to help brewers and beer companies find new revenue streams.
“The beer category has been declining for a while, and we’ve been challenged by our customers to help them innovate,” explains Diego Campos, regional marketing at Givaudan, speaking at drinktec.
“If you look at the flavored beer category – that’s the only segment that’s actually growing in the beer category.
“We’ve done a lot to understand what is being offered in the market in Europe, we’ve been into breweries, craft breweries, shops, what are consumers buying, drinking, what do they really want?”
From a practical manufacturing standpoint, most of Givaudan’s ideas think about what can be added at the end of the brewing process: allowing brewers to continue manufacturing with current processes but adding a twist of innovation at the end.
The idea is to open up beer to new audiences: and, in particular, those who have historically ignored the beer category because they don’t like the taste of beer. That’s seen with Givaudan’s beer slushies: which only include a hint of the beer taste.
“Our beer slushies taste more like a cocktail, something refreshing, but not like beer,” said Campos. “And it can taste exactly how you want. We have solutions and flavors that can make it taste as our customers want. We’re showcasing mango lychee slushie, because we saw that combination works well, but we can make tropical, red fruit – anything!”