Where is ABV in Beer Heading?

Recently, a can of Tröegs new Graffiti Highway Double IPA showed up at my door. The 19.2 oz. can, brightly colored, highlighted the 9.5% ABV on the top in bold, almost wanting you to show this fact first even before who brewed it or the name of the beer. That's almost double the 5% that was once considered the standard for ABV in beer. A can of Graffiti Highway Double IPA retails for around $3 according to a Google search of liquor stores in the Mid-Atlantic where Tröegs is distributed.

Hot Seller: the Imperial IPA

In craft beer circles, evolution and changes in beer styles happen constantly, with beer geek drinkers gravitating towards different styles on an almost yearly basis. For more casual imbibers, beers that have always been popular like light lagers continue to be popular thanks to large marketing budgets and distribution footprints. But there’s been a curious entry into a new hot seller for this market: the imperial IPA. But this trend is not popular on draft or even in 12 packs; these popular beers are sold at convenience stores (c-stores) in single serve cans either in 16 oz. pint cans or even taller 19.2 oz “stovepipe” cans. They are priced around $3 or $4 a can depending on where you live and these cans showcase in large letters the high alcohol, usually an ABV north of 9%. These hot sellers remind me of the malt liquor 40s or tall ice lagers of old, a drink to do “the job” (take that to mean what you will) quickly with a low price point so you get your “bang for your buck.” But how did the single serve double IPA garner this distinction?

VooDoo Ranger & the High ABV Trend

I spoke to Chris Shepard, who is a Senior Editor at Beer Marketers’ Insights about this phenomenon of highlighting ABV as a selling point. He points to Fort Collins, Colorado based New Belgium Brewing Company as the brewery that started this trend. Their VooDoo Ranger series was started in 2017 and had a slow rise but now is one of the most popular beers in America. The original VooDoo Ranger IPA is 7.0% ABV but soon the brewery added other beers to this series: a 9.0% ABV double IPA version and a beer called Juice Force, which is the now ubiquitous ABV of 9.5%.

“New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Imperial kept growing double-digits, +12% and Juice Force grew 75% and climbed to #3 craft brands across Circana (formally IRI which tracks sales across liquor store chains and c-stores),” said Shepard. “Competitors took note, of course, and the strength of high-strength IPAs is most strong in convenience.”

The Competitors

The competitors of New Belgium, regional and national brands like the AB Inbev-owned Goose Island and Sierra Nevada also added these styles of double hazy IPAs to their repertoire and in different sizes (SKUs) as well: 12 oz, 16 oz and the popular stovepipe 19.2 oz size for single serve.

“The 4th fastest-growing craft brand in c-stores (behind the 3 VRs) was Goose Island Tropical Beer Hug, which grew to be the #12 brands in the channel,” remarked Shepard. Sierra Nevada’s Big Little Thing, a 9.0% ABV beer, is yet to crack the numbers in Circana data but its Hazy Little Thing, a 7.0% ABV IPA, is very popular. Tropical Bear Hug is a whopping 9.9% ABV and retails in c-stores for around $3 a can.

When I asked for a comment about this trend, New Belgium’s (owned by the Japanese brewer Kirin) communications teams said they did not have time to answer this question.

I also reached out to Oskar Blues (owned by Monster Brewing, the makers of Monster Energy), who released in 2023 Dale’s Double, a 9% ABV beer. They also had no comment. I understand why brands would have trepidation to go on the record to say they are showcasing high ABV and perhaps encouraging reckless behavior. But breweries are making money on highlighting the ABV and many are doing this.

What's the ABV?

After getting the can of Graffiti Highway, I reached out to Jeff Herb, the marketing coordinator for Tröegs, who thankfully responded albeit with a slightly coy and calculated response.

“Over the years, we’ve found that the first question asked about a double IPA is ‘What’s the ABV?’ Consumers want to know what they’re getting, and it is regularly found with prominence on the beer’s exterior packaging (i.e. 6-pack),” said Herb. “In the case of 19.2-oz cans, most of these sales are single-serve and thus have limited information real estate. Considering cooler display factors, presenting the ABV near the top allows consumers to make educated buying decisions based on their drinking occasion. Some are looking for that higher alcohol, while others might be trying to avoid it.”

It makes sense that this highlighting of the ABV at the top, so it isn’t obscured by the holder in the cooler, but ABV still feels top of mind for many people who reach for these. As someone who has worked in the industry for over a decade, there is always someone who comes into your tasting room or up to you at a festival and is ordering strictly on ABV.

As for this growth, the sales numbers are there and if you are a regional brewer with access to stovepipe cans packaging and good distribution, it makes sense you’d want a slice of this pie.

BeerEm SauterJuly 3, 2024ipa, imperial ipa, double ipaComment