It’s been several years since Russian River Brewing co-founder Vinnie Cilurzo introduced the notion of “Lupulin Shift” and, in fact, he was talking about graduating from very hoppy beers to still hoppier ones.
I thought of this today as I was catching up on my reading, in this case an interview with Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing from Shanken News Daily. In it he reiterated what we already knew: Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA is hot, with sales up 40 percent this year.
Just like at New Belgium, where Ranger IPA has lead growth and the well known Fat Tire Amber Ale has become a little bit less of a flagship. According to Impact Databank, Fat Tire accounted for 70 percent of New Belgium sales in 2008, 67 percent in 2009 and 60 percent in 2010. The biggest change last year was the introduction of Ranger IPA. New Belgium sold more than 50,000 barrels of it in 2010, 8 percent of production.
Sales of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale grew 1 percent in 2010, while overall production increased almost 9 percent (to 779,000 barrels). Thus, SNPA accounted for more than 76 percent of sales in 2009, and less than 71 percent in 2010.
A sign that a wider population of beer drinkers is now following a path littered with hop cones?
I know that my father-in-law was strictly a Bud Light man three years ago, and now he is strictly an IPA man. His favorite of the moment is Big Sky IPA.
What about a downward lupulin shift? For whatever reason, I can’t drink IPAs like I used to.
“For whatever reason, I can’t drink IPAs like I used to.”
Funny, but I’m the same way. And it seems like the more resiny the hops, the least I can also drink. Lupulin Boomerang?
I agree with the genius of Ron Pattinson. I prefer “polite beers”.
I am getting nostalgic for the 80s when I was thrilled by craft brown ales and stouts. Or rather micros. Or were they just small?
A data point of one person for what it’s worth, but my father-in-law, who drinks strictly macro-lagers as cold as possible, tried a Marble Brewing IPA in New Mexico I bought for him, and loved it! Maybe it’s not a lupulin shift, but the beers are just simply more available, and more people are discovering them.
“For whatever reason, I can’t drink IPAs like I used to.”
Funny, but I’m the same way. And it seems like the more resiny the hops, the least I can also drink. Lupulin Boomerang?
Steve and Joe,, I agree.
But wait until you taste this concept using Humulus lupulus var. neomexicanus hops! Increase the hops,, increase the spicy citrus,,,it’s awesome! It won’t be too long before some brews are out there for folks to try,,, don’t die yet,, the best is yet to come!!
🙂
my two cents, I think the IPA’s are getting more approachable, more late hops less straight up hard to drink bitterness. That said when it comes to a lupulin shift I think I am experiencing it right now. I brewed an IPA on the weekend that will end up having over 450grams of hops in 22litres of a 1074 beer once the dry hops have been added. I’m thinking this one will be hoppy. The calculations say 132 IBU, and I know there is no way known I’ll actually achieve that but I like to try.
Long live the Lupulin shift!
“It won’t be too long before some brews are out there for folks to try,,, “
Todd — such as? I’ve been drinking Micros for over 20 years and have had just about every combination of hops from mellow and delicious to harsh and palate burning. I like a lot of them, some just turn me off.
The Sam Adams Latitude 48 Deconstructed experiment with the single hops was very educational to me. I liked the Kent Goldings and Hallertauer — pretty much hated the Simcoe. Funny thing is, I really like the standard Latitude with the blend of hops — maybe this is similar to what you’re talking about?
I don’t know. I couldn’t read that label above as it was mostly written in comic sans. I’d give anything for Cilurzo to quit using CS on his labels…even less hops.
Steve, So far, H. L. var. neomexicanus has been a local phenomena in NM and CO Springs. Brewery/pub style. It’s about to change. Stay tuned! 😉
I really like the idea of the single hop experiment too. It shows some great options of flavor potentials.
I know a hop variety with a flavor I personally don’t like in a light beer that’s heavy handed in that single hop,,, but that hop in a more complex sugar flavored beer is amazing. The malt is like “planet backdrop”,,, the canvas,,,and the hop is the accent colors,,or the malt is like the baseline in music,, and the hops are the trumpet, flute, clarinet, saxophone, and all other accent instruments. Hops are the ingredient that makes it all pop!
The yeast, technique and brewer are the directors/painters/paint?
I don’t think that this is a sign that a wider audience of people are drinking IPAs, I just think the same craft beer customer base is drinking IPAs instead of pale ales or whatever. Overall production/growth has remained steady for those companies, they’ve just shifted consumption from one brand to another. You might chalk this up to all those beers being new. It’s marketing 101: introduce a new product or slightly change a product to sell it as ‘new’. I would guess that those numbers will level out as the novelty of those individual beers tapers off.
I am a prime example of a example of a Lupulin shift but most recently I am enjoying my mother’s shift more. Probably because I can see what is happening as she moves from Keystone Light to Blue Moon and now stocks with Bell’s Pale Ale. way to go mom.
To coin, and then change, a phrase from River Cottage’s Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, I think I am becoming a “lupulin downsizer” – getting fed up with the hop race, and looking to enjoy a slower, more leisurely pace of beer enjoyment.