Market Watch, Summer 2020

SUMMER 2020 MARKETW ATCHMAG COM MARKET WATCH 99 home state earlier this year Feedback has been extremely positive says communications manager Zach Fowle adding that the brew will likely be expanded into Nevada and New Mexico Grand Rapids Michigan based City Built Brewing Co also has a green tea beer on offer Flower Power pale ale launched in 2017 The brew which also includes chamomile has both floral and bitter flavors City Built also offers Floral saison which incorporates lavender and chamomile Charlotte North Carolina based Unknown Brewing Co s Hospitali Tea Southern Amber ale meanwhile relies on black tea rather than green The beer 11 a 6 pack of 12 ounce cans is made with black tea leaves and orange blossom honey And Grand Rapids based Creston Brewery takes another approach with its draft only offering Panda Bear light beer which combines both rooibos tea and whole chai spices including clove allspice cardamom cinnamon and ginger Local raw honey is added in to tie the beer together and give it some sweetness A few brewers have partnered directly with tea purveyors on tea infused offerings Maines Shipyard Brewing for one collaborated with Tiesta Tea Co three years ago on its TeaBrew wheat ales which are infused with the Chicago based companys yerba mate and herbal tea blends Available in two flavors Fireberry and Maui Mango TeaBrew 10 a 6 pack of 12 ounce cans is distributed in New England Florida Chicago and Long Island New York according to Shipyard president Bruce Forsley Broken Goblet Brewing meanwhile partners with Brutaliteas on Bubbas Tea Bag available only at the Bensalem Pennsylvania brewers taproom 6 a 16 ounce pour a beer that co owner and CMO Mike LaCouture says put Broken Goblet on the map In addition to Bubbas Tea Bag Broken Goblet produces numerous limited edition tea infused beers all available only at the brewery And in Wisconsin Milwaukee Brewing Co partners with nearby Rishi Tea on the O Gii 9 a 4 pack of 16 ounce cans an imperial wit that brewer Kurt Mayes created by infusing Asian tea flavorings into the beer The brews popularity led to the company adding a spin off called Gin O Gii to its Destination Local series Gin O Gii is aged in Rehorst Reserve gin barrels from Great Lakes Distillery Beer retailers note that while still emerging tea influenced beers have been well received by consumers Lawson Autrey manager of Growlers Taphouse in Tucson Arizona says Senchado has become a go to beer for many People like that its light and crisp and brewed with green tea leaves he says The brew is priced at 6 a 16 ounce pint and 20 a 64 ounce growler Kraig Torres owner of the Hop City Craft Beer Wine chain which has two locations in Atlanta and one in Birmingham Alabama says that Three Taverns Lord Grey is a runaway success The current crop of tea influenced beers seem to have caught on with adventurous drinkers he adds Consumers of tea infused beers run the gamut marketers and retailers say But Fowler and Forsley note that the beers tend to be more popular with women than men Were seeing those aged 21 40 affluent fitness minded and health conscious drinking TeaBrew Forsley says And that stands to reason as tea drinkers in general are concerned with their health Indeed Shipyard sometimes samples the beer at post athletic events and according to Forsley the response is overwhelmingly positive The retail space however has proven to be more of a challenge with increasing competition from products like hard seltzers Some consumers wonder Is it a tea Is it a beer Does it contain alcohol Forsley notes Others say that tea infused beers like Bubbas Tea Bag appeal to beer aficionados and neophytes alike Bubbas Tea Bags complexity has caught the beer nerd off guard and novices like its accessibility says LaCouture And at Three Taverns Berrong says that Lord Grey has served as a good introduction to the brewerys line of sour beers We often hear customers say I dont like sour beers that much but I love this one he notes Autrey from Growlers Taphouse agrees that a number of Senchado consumers may not be beer drinkers but theyre willing to gamble on a beer containing tea Beers like these open the door for non beer drinkers he says mw Breweries are increasingly turning to tea influenced beers Arizonas Four Peaks Brewing part of Anheuser Busch InBevs Brewers Collective has seen growing demand for its tea infused beer Senchado green tea lager pictured