The rapid growth of the craft beer industry is only being matched by increased demand from consumers for beers made with honey.
Honey is the perfect ingredient for craft brews, providing flavor, functional and marketing benefits. From seasonal offerings to foundational brews, honey is finding its way into stouts, spice beers, ales, light beers and lagers.
One of the main reasons craft brewers are drawn to honey is its ability to provide a variety of flavor profiles to match the type of beer being brewed. In the United States alone, there are more than 300 varieties of honey, all with unique flavor profiles, derived from floral sources such as alfalfa, wildflower, buckwheat and tupelo. These flavors range from light and mild to robust and strong, and brewers can work with other ingredients such as herbs and spices to provide a complex flavor profile targeted toward a specific consumer demand.