Fruited Beers: An Exciting Part of the Craft Beer Industry

Fruited beers, once considered a novelty, have now become a staple in the craft beer industry. What started as a small trend in the Pacific Northwest has now spread across the country, with breweries all over the US experimenting with various fruit-infused concoctions. In this blog post, we will explore the rise of fruited beers and how they have made their way to craft breweries all across the United States.

The Origins of Fruited Beers
Fruited beers can be traced back to the early days of beer-making when brewers would add fruits, such as raspberries or cherries, to the fermentation process. This was done not only for flavor but also as a way to balance out the bitterness of certain types of beer. As beer-making became more commercialized, fruit was phased out in favor of hops, which provided the bitter flavors that were in high demand at the time.

In the 1970’s, a small group of brewers in the Pacific Northwest began experimenting with adding fruit back into beer. The first of these fruit beers was made by Grant's Brewery Pub in Yakima, Washington, which added raspberries to their wheat beer. The beer was a hit, and soon other breweries in the region began experimenting with fruit as well.

Fruited Beers Go Mainstream
It wasn't until the early 2000s that fruited beers began to gain mainstream popularity. This was due in part to the rise of the craft beer industry, which gave smaller breweries the ability to experiment with new flavors and techniques. Fruited beers were a natural fit for this trend, as they allowed brewers to experiment with a wide variety of fruits and create unique and interesting flavors.

One of the most popular types of fruited beers is sour beer. These beers are typically brewed with a combination of fruit and lactobacillus, a type of bacteria that creates a tart flavor. Sour beers can be made with a wide range of fruits, from cherries to peaches to pink guava, and are often aged in oak barrels to give them a distinct flavor.

Fruited beers have also become popular in the IPA category. Brewers will add fruit to the hops to create a unique flavor profile. For example, some breweries will add grapefruit to their IPAs to create a bitter, citrusy flavor.

Fruited Beers Today
Today, fruited beers can be found in breweries all across the United States. In fact, many breweries have made fruited beers a permanent part of their lineup. The popularity of these beers has led to a wide variety of fruit flavors being used, from more traditional options like raspberry and cherry to more exotic fruits like passion fruit, mango, pineapple and pink guava.

The rise of fruited beers has also led to a new trend in the craft beer industry: the use of aseptic fruit purees. Aseptic fruit purees are pasteurized and shelf stable, this is a game changer since the product does not have to be refrigerated when stored at 77 degrees Fahrenheit or below.  Many breweries will source a variety of aseptic fruit purees to create unique and interesting flavors. This gives beer drinkers the chance to try new and exciting fruit beer flavors all year long.

Conclusion
Fruited beers have come a long way since their origins as a way to balance out bitterness. Today, they are a popular and exciting part of the craft beer industry, offering a wide range of unique and interesting flavor profiles. From sours to IPAs, fruited beers can be found in breweries all across the United States, making them accessible to beer lovers everywhere.

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About Fruit Purees Miami
Located in sunny Miami, Florida, Fruit Purees Miami is a Distributor of premium aseptic fruit purees as an ingredient. We love working with people, not companies, so whether you're making craft beers, kombucha, seltzers, ice cream, yogurt or desserts in general - we would love to connect with you.