2020 was a hard year for craft beer, but 2021 is staged for better times ahead. As brewers shift their business to fit the ever-changing tastes of craft drinkers, the Brewers Association predicts that three craft beer styles will only gain popularity this year.

To keep your craft sense keen, we’re laying down those styles with some top-notch Tavour favorites.

1. Juicy/Hazy IPAs

According to the BA, Juicy and Hazy IPAs are here to stay. These smooth-sipping brews were the most popular style last summer for the way they evoke intense fruit flavors from hops. Now in particular, more female craft drinkers are taking an interest in Juicy and Hazy IPAs, as are younger craft drinkers between the ages of 21 to 44. For anyone who may be just getting into the style, here are a couple Juicy and Hazy IPAs to keep an eye out for:

Ghost In The Machine - Parish Brewing Co.

Thrillist places Ghost in the Machine at the very top of their 10 Louisiana Beers to Try Before You Die. Honestly, it’s easy to see why:

This is THE BEER that kept local hopheads swarming release day lines outside Parish Brewing’s taproom for years. In 2018, Parish started brewing it year-round to keep up with the demand, and they still often sell out in pre-sales for each batch. 

It’s also THE BEER that Food & Wine named one of the Best IPAs in America. They say it put tiny Broussard, LA on the map!

Juicy Bits - WeldWerks Brewing Co. 

It seems like every time we get a new batch of Juicy Bits, Tavour members snatch it up faster than a fire drill. And, we don’t blame them! This cloudy-soft pour is uniquely fantastic, thanks to WeldWerks’ dialed-in process of adjusting the water chemistry that results in a pillowy mouthfeel.

High protein malts also lend a hand. And, by leaving some sugars in the brew instead of allowing them to turn into booze, the tropical citrus character of the Mosaic, Citra, and El Dorado Hops gets amped up even more. 

The final result is an intensely hopped, unquestionably smooth beer that’s reminiscent of fresh pressed mango-and-pineapple juice — hence the name, Juicy Bits!

2. Crisp Beers

The Brewers Association defines Crisp Beers as encompassing Pilsners, Lagers, Kolsches, and the like. We’ve said before that these lightly hopped, uber refreshing brews would become a hot new style category, and it looks like our prediction is on track to coming true! Now in 2021, these beers are gaining more traction among key demographics like craft drinkers ages 21-34 and female craft drinkers. For those in need of a good introduction, be sure to check out these crispy bois, if you can:

Beer To Drink When It’s Hot Outside - Westbrook Brewing Co.

One of VinePair’s Most Important Breweries of the Decade, South Carolina’s Westbrook has seen more than its fair share of stifling heat and humidity. And these ace brewers know exactly how to fight it.

These guys brewed Beer to Drink When it’s Hot Outside with flaked corn, key lime purée, and Motueka Hops. The result is a mouthwateringly good German-style Lager that drips tangy lime with zings of lemon citrus and light floral notes. 

This limited series brew is so quenchingly refreshing, you’d want to fill up the whole beer fridge with it! Throw a pool party when summer hits and crack open enough of these ice cold cans for your guests — they’d be so chilled out that they wouldn’t even notice if you don’t actually have a pool. 

Sparrow - True Respite Brewing Co.

Italian-style Pilsners are an emerging style in craft — they take the ordinal German Lager to an enlightened, palate-pleasing level with volumes of delicate, dry-hopped European hop varietals. 

True Respite makes the style their own in their latest Lager series. Sparrow starts with a rustic bready backbone using Italian-malted Eraclea Pilsner malts, and adds loads of European Spalt and Hersbrucker Noble Hops for a citrus and earthy pine finish.

Italian Pilsners are built for sessioning, and at a smooth-sipping 5% ABV, Sparrow is no exception. It would be a refreshingly delicious accompaniment to any spicy dish — whether that’s pasta arrabiata or chorizo tacos is up to you.

3. Tart Beers

“Tart” Beers are just another name for things like Sour Ales, Farmhouses, and Wild Ales — the brews that bring the funk and the pucker. This style of craft beer has had a long upward trend among older generations of craft drinkers, but it’s about to see a new heyday among the younger crowds. With craft drinkers between the ages of 21-25 getting more experimental in their tastes, these are some tart treats to watch:

Tropic Heart - Urban Family Brewing

Urban Family’s beers are so tart and in-your-face with fun, fruit-flavored intensity, Seattle locals love bringing out-of-town guests to their Washington Beer Award-winning taproom.

It’s the joint you bring your buds to who aren’t even into beer: even wine and cocktail drinkers get a huge kick out of learning how intensely fruity beer can be. 

Tropic Heart is one of the few beers that Urban Family has made more than once, and only because of its massive popularity. 

It’s a mango and passion fruit-infused bonanza that Tavour members always rate highly. Fans just can’t get enough of this sweet and tangy, exotic fruit-farm-in-a-glass!

Saison Du Blé (Blend #10) - Side Project Brewing

Side Project Brewing brings out the prime aspects of a Saison in their Saison Du Blé (Blend no. 10): a gentleness from the wheat and a bright zing from natural fermentation. 

Subtlety is this brew’s speciality. The brewers aged it in Missouri oak foeders, lending musty, woodsy tinges to its delicate notes of stone fruit, apple, and honey.

Side Project is known for their Barrel-Aged Saisons and all-around beloved brews — Paste Magazine named the brewery one of the Top Ten Best U.S. Breweries of the Decade! And, beer connoisseurs from far and wide know to get their hands on a bottle or two of this top-tier Saison when it comes around.

Tavour is here to help every possible craft fan get their fill of Juicy IPAs, Crisp Beers, and Tart Beers all year long. If you’d like to catch the hype around these styles, be sure to check out the Tavour app for some of the highest-rated examples from across the country!