You might’ve noticed your favorite bar has swapped out the ultra-hoppy double IPAs for more straightforward lagers and approachable beers lately. That’s no coincidence. Across the U.S., drinkers are quietly turning their backs on craft-beer complexity and embracing the kind of cheap, easy-drinking brews they used to enjoy in college. According to recent data, Americans are buying more simple, budget-friendly beer and the days of raspberry hazy IPAs may be numbered. Why the shift? It’s about cost, fatigue, and simplicity
Here’s what’s driving the movement:
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Financial pressure: With inflation still pinching budgets, many consumers are cutting back and opting for beers that cost less, rather than chase novelty.
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Craft overload: The craft-beer boom brought wave after wave of flavors, hops, hybrids and gimmicks. After a while, drinkers tired of chasing the “next big thing.”
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Back to basics: The appeal of a chuggable beer uncomplicated, refreshing, familiar is resurfacing. The headline: beer for the moment, not the moment’s statement.
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Retail behaviour: Supermarkets and big-beer companies recognize the trend. Some store brands or big brewers are offering lager styles or “value-priced” six-packs to capture the cost-sensitive drinker.
What this looks like on the shelves & taps
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Brands once associated with premium craft are cutting prices, especially for lager or simpler styles, to stay competitive.
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Packaging is returning to more traditional imagery and fewer gimmicks: plain cans, modest branding, familiar wording.
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Bars & retailers are featuring more “session lagers” (lower ABV, easy drinking) and fewer high-ABV, hop-bomb double IPAs.
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Some droves back into “good old beer” tastes think classic American lagers, pilsners, simple pils-like offerings.
Why this matters to beer drinkers & brewers
For Drinkers:
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You may get more value. The beer you love might cost less.
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If you were tired of decoding labels like “Juicy Hazy Double IPA V3.0” this year, you’re not alone.
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Your choice may shift away from “what’s trending” to “what feels easy.”
For Brewers & Retailers:
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Premium craft brewers may face pressure especially those relying on high production costs and niche flavours.
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Retailers might stock more value-oriented beers, mainstream lagers, or minimalist brands.
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Craft brands must decide: innovate harder or double-down on authenticity and storytelling to keep their premium status.
The cultural angle: nostalgia meets realism
There’s a bit of nostalgia in all this. The return to simple beer echoes back to earlier decades where quality lagers reigned and marketing was simple. But this isn’t just vintage chic it’s practical. Drinkers want beers that don’t demand attention. They want something to complement the moment, not dominate it.
Michael Bernot of research firm Sightlines put it bluntly: “It’s kind of going back to beer’s roots a little bit ... easy-drinking and for your garage.”
The caveats & what to watch
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The trend doesn’t necessarily mean craft beer is dead many still love flavourful, creative brews. It’s more about balancing offerings.
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Some regions or demographics will keep leaning into hops, fruit-flavours, craft experiments. The shift is broad but not uniform.
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“Cheap” doesn’t mean low quality many value brands are improving taste and production to meet drinker expectations.
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For brewers, lowering price or simplifying products isn’t easy margins matter, costs are rising for ingredients and operations.
So yes the raspberry hazy double IPAs may not be the default anymore. The mood is shifting back to the foundational beer experience: chill, uncomplicated, affordable. If you’re scanning the shelf next time and reach for a six-pack that doesn’t require a flavor profile cheat sheet, you’re part of the movement.
Because sometimes, making beer a little “dumb” again simply means making it about the drink, the moment, and the can in your hand not the hype.
