New Craft Beers on JetBlue Flights
The craft beer industry is repositioning itself over the last two Covid-19-infused years. It’s moving away from a focus on “smoothie” beers that taste like smoothies and is emphasizing the fundamentals of beer that has been its core principle for decades. The result is a shift toward beers that taste a lot like the beers people have been drinking for a long time.
IPAs have dominated the craft beer scene for many years, but they’re starting to lose their near-monopoly. That’s because newcomers to craft brews are looking for something more familiar. Enter lagers, which are often lighter and crisper than IPAs. In a few short years, they’ve become as popular as IPAs and are growing rapidly in sales and admiration.
Sours have also become a major player in the craft beer scene. These tart, fruit-influenced beers have been a steady part of the industry for the last few years and are now outpacing IPAs in terms of sales growth.
A number of Chicago-area breweries have struggled this year, with Urban Brew Labs closing its Ravenswood production brewery and Empirical Brewing shuttering its Lakeview pub after less than a decade in business. Athletic Brewing is bucking the trend, however, with its lineup of alcohol-free beers that it is serving on domestic JetBlue flights. One of those beers is Upside Dawn Golden Ale, which is brewed with organic malts and a blend of English and American hops. It’s the first time a major airline is offering nonalcoholic craft beer on its flights.