LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2023

BEER & CIDER

TREND: LIQUID ACCOUNTABILITY “Consumers want to know the integrity of those who are producing their food and beverages. More than ever, we are demanding accountability of others around us and companies. Reputations are very slow to build, but quick to be lost. Canadians will be careful about their beverage-buying decisions … and look to support companies who

are good citizens and creating a positive environmental impact” —Cathy Siskind-Kelly, co-founder of London, Ont.-based Black Fly Beverage Co.

TREND: FLAVOUR SYNERGY “With new hop varieties and hybrid yeast strains continuously being created, we can expect some exciting new flavours and profiles in beer. We can expect to see a bigger percentage of the market going to mixed fermentation beer [using more than one yeast strain], which creates very interesting flavour profiles. Cutting down on our carbon footprint and showcasing the terroir of our region—in malted barley, wheat and hops— will create flavours that can only be found here” —Laura Behzadi, co-founder of Ottawa’s Bicycle Craft Brewery

TREND: APPLE

AWARENESS “The future could see protected cider appellations, single-varietal cider apple awareness and a continued revisitation of heri tage cider styles. Hybridization between beverage divisions may lead to ongoing collaborative styles—borrowing hops from beer, barrels from spirits, grapes from wine—to create infinite iterations of new styles of cider, which will continue to reach new frontiers for the industry” —Jeannie Dubois, American Cider Association‑certified pommelier and brewer at Thunder Bay’s Dawson Trail Craft Brewery

TREND: CREATIVE INFUSION “A few beer styles that are quite certain to grow are low-ABV brews, sour beers and hazy IPAs. Brewers will continue to experiment with new techniques and ingredients: beers that infuse the flavours and properties of coffee, candy, THC and even more unusual ingredients like seaweed, mushrooms and phytonutrients” —James McCune, co-founder of The Crushies Craft Beer Marketing Awards, and executive director of New York-based EGC Group’s craft beverage division

BEER GLASS: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/HYRMA

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