About Craft Beverages and Trends

Do you own or manage a craft brewery or beverage processing business? Or maybe you are interested in starting your very own business in the craft beverage industry? Now is the time to take action, as craft beveragee are not only growing, they are thriving.

Restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, pubs, and bars are always looking to add new beverage options to their menus. Why? Because today’s consumers are on the lookout for new and innovative beverages. This is especially true for today’s younger generations, whose focus is on finding the most flavorful and healthy craft beverage options. Craft beverages are produced in smaller batches, making them overall better when it comes to both quality and authenticity.

As craft beverages continue to grow in popularity, let’s explore how popular these types of beverages are with today’s younger generations.

Craft Beverages

According to The Brewers Association, total beer sales by volume edged up 1% in 2021, while craft brewery sales rose 8%. Now that the craft beverage industry is quickly taking off, many establishments, including beverage processing companies, are looking into what new beverage options they can create so they can expand their craft beverage offerings. They not only want to offer new and fun drinks to their customers, they also understand that there is an opportunity for meaningful economic development by serving high-quality craft beverages.

When it comes to drinking craft beverages, it really is about the experience.

Part of ensuring that the beverage you produce is consistent in terms of quality (whether it is the level of carbonation you want to achieve, or reducing oxygen in your beverage for longer shelf-life, please reach out to us). We are happy to help!

Craft Beverage Options

While craft beer is still very popular among baby boomers, younger generations are showing more of an interest in consuming other types of craft beverages. This includes but is not limited to flavored and/or sparkling water, kombucha, cider, craft soda, CBD infused,, juice, tea, and cocktails.

• Craft Beer:

The fact that craft beer is produced in smaller amounts by small craft breweries makes it so craft beer has a richer, more distinct taste when compared to beer that is mass produced. Craft beer makers use both traditional and nontraditional ingredients to appeal to today’s consumers.

• Craft Tea:

Craft tea is healthy, and supports both freshness and great taste.

• Craft Juice:

Craft juice beverages are made using fresh fruits and or vegetables. Craft juice is also popular for making craft cocktails.

• Craft Cider:

Craft cider is made using freshly pressed apple juice, less sugar (compared to mass-produced cider), and no additives.

• Craft Kombucha:

A healthy fermented drink made using tea, sugar, bacteria, and yeast. And is believed to promote gut health

• Craft Soda:

Craft sodas are made using only premium ingredients, contain less sugar, and do not contain any preservatives or artificial flavors.

• Craft CBD Infused:

CBD offers a wide variety of health benefits, and can be added to either non-alcoholic or alcoholic beverages.

• Craft Flavored Water:

Craft flavored water options add a variety of fun flavors to plain ol’ water, i.e. lemon, strawberry, blackberry. Vitamins and minerals can also be added in.

• Craft Cocktails:

Craft cocktails only use high-quality, fresh ingredients and require great creativity to produce the highest-level cocktail beverage.

Boomers
Baby boomers were born between the years 1946 and 1964. This older generation is not as experimental when it comes to trying new beverages, making it so the majority of baby boomers are more traditional when choosing what to drink. While craft beer is definitely the go-to drink for baby boomers, that is not the case when it comes to today’s younger generations.

Younger Generations
Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z are groups that tend to seek out beverages in their local areas. These groups enjoy looking for something new to try and are therefore largely responsible for why the alternate (not just beer) craft beverage industry has taken off recently. This is the main reason why so many restaurants, bars, pubs, and local cafes are now adding craft beverage options to their menus.

Generation X (1965 to 1978)
Many people included in this generation enjoy consuming a variety of craft beverages on a regular basis. They tend to have more money to spend, making it easy for the generation X group to explore new authentic beverage options.

Favorite generation X craft beverages:
• Craft beer
• Craft cocktails
• Craft soda
• Craft water

Millennials (1979 to 1996)
When it comes to understanding future beverage trends, millennials are definitely the generation to pay attention to. Millennials especially like trying something new, and have no problem experimenting when it comes to trying something completely out of the box. Millennials are always checking out the best local places to try new craft beverages when socializing, as this group prefers consuming beverages at their local restaurants, bars, pubs, and cafés.

Favorite millennial craft beverages:
• Craft water
• Craft coffee

Generation Z (1997 to 2010)
While many people in this generation still enjoy drinking craft beer, the majority are now choosing to order craft cocktails. Generation Z has a large focus on consuming healthy craft beverages, i.e. no sugar, low carbs, natural ingredients. This group prefers simple social engagements with friends vs going out on the town, making ready-to-drink craft drinks popular with this generation.

Favorite generation Z craft beverages:
• Craft juice
• Craft water
• Craft coffee

Commercial Carbonation Machines

Restaurants, bars, pubs, and local cafes are now experiencing great success by paying attention to what today’s younger generations are drinking. But these are not the only establishments taking advantage of the craft beverage industry trend that is definitely here to stay. Craft beverage makers are also choosing to rent commercial space in different cities in order to provide the younger generations with the craft beverages they now seek and crave.

Whether you already have an established business that serves beverages or are interested in starting your own craft beverage business, you will have the need to carbonate your beverage consistentenly and reliably. As you grow your business, you will see the need to setup a commercial carbonation system/inline carbonation system to help with smooth brewery operations and ensure a quality product for your customers.

If you are interested in understanding and considering a commercial carbonation machine, we invite you to contact us now with any questions you have. We have several beverage companies producing sparkling/flavored water, cider, kombucha and other craft sodas that rely on achieving consistent carbonation using QuantiPerm’s fully automated inline carbonation machines.

Partner with us to produce that perfect beverage you worked so hard to produce and send it to your packaging line with some of our carbonation surge systems!