Rise of Fruit-Flavored Beers: Popularity of Purees in Craft Beer

Featured Image Caption: Fruit Flavored Beers

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Fruit purees are more than just random ingredients in novelty beverages. They have become a staple in the craft beer industry, offering a refreshing twist on traditional brews. This blog explores the use of these purees in popular craft beers, why they’ve gained popularity, and which fruit and beer pairings are most common.

Understanding Fruit Purees and Their Uses

Fruit purees are mixtures of smooth, blended fruit. Purees are usually thicker than juice and more intense in flavor, adding the following benefits to brews:

Flavoring: Purees provide an authentic flavor that complements or enhances the other ingredients in the beer.
Coloring: Certain fruit purees, like berries or tropical fruits, add vibrant hues to a beer, boosting its visual appeal.
Sweetening: Although containing less sugar than juice, purees do lend delectable sweetness to a recipe, balancing the bitterness of hops for unique flavors.

Fruit purees consistently bring intense flavor to craft beers.

Charting the Rise of Fruit-Flavored Beers

The use of fruit purees in craft beer has seen a significant uptick recently. For example, fruit sours continued to rise in Untappd’s list of top brews. These factors drive this trend:

Consumer Demand: Fruit-infused beers offer a tasty and refreshing departure from traditional styles. Consumers continue to seek new and exciting flavor adventures.
Brewer Creativity: Brewers are constantly exploring new ingredients and techniques; fruit purees provide a versatile and accessible way to explore flavors.
Accessibility of Fruit Purees: Fruit purees are available and easy to use. Brewers know what they’re getting and can easily incorporate them into new concoctions.

Social media has played a key role in promoting fruit-flavored beers. Breweries use platforms like Facebook and Instagram to showcase new, stunning creations, creating buzz and driving demand.

Exploring Fruit Purees and Beer Pairings

Fruit purees add flavors and aromas that complement or enhance various beer styles. Here are a few commonly used purees and their usual pairings that create many types of fruity beers:

Citrus: Lemon, lime, grapefruit, and orange are great choices for sour beers, wheat beers, and IPAs. Their tart and zesty flavors add complexity and balance.
Berry: Berries such as raspberry and strawberry are known for their sweetness, making them ideal for fruit beers, sours, and stouts.
Tropical: Passionfruit, mango, pineapple, and guava lend tropical fruit puree flavors, perfect for hazy IPAs, fruit beers, and sour ales.
Stone Fruit: Peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries add sweetness and complexity to fruit beers and stouts.

When pairing fruits and brews, look for fruits that complement the base beer’s flavor. The puree shouldn’t overpower the beer’s other ingredients, so experimentation and testing are critical.

Embracing the Fruit-Forward Revolution

Fruit purees offer a versatile and tasty approach to adding unique flavors and aromas to popular craft beers. Brewers should experiment with different fruits and beer styles to create memorable types of fruity beers that delight their customers. Here’s to embracing fruit-flavored beers and discovering the endless possibilities of fruit purees and craft beers!