Hopes & predictions for the New Year

As we wave goodbye to a year that was eventful to say the least, and turn the page to 2024 (perhaps while nursing just the tiniest of hangovers), we are sharing not only what some of San Diego Beer News‘ staffers expect to see in regards to beer culture and the brewing industry in the New Year, but also what they would like to see.

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San Diego is home to many vibrant communities eager to be seen and celebrated by the beer world. For instance, did you know San Diego county has a deep rooted Filipino-American population that has been ranked as the third largest concentration in the United States? For one of our recent events with local pastry chef Justin Gaspar at Pure Project, we tossed out the “classic” food-and-beer-pairing books. Chef Gaspar was eager to share his culture through food by combining beloved Filipino flavors and his French trained pastry skills, and the result of that passion was a mind-blowing beer pairing. I will never forget seeing families and friends come together with smiles on their faces, knowing flavors common to their upbringing were being presented front-and-center at their favorite brewery. 

I would love to encourage San Diego’s breweries to team up with local chefs and restaurants to create a culinary experience never seen before! Like those expandable dining tables we see on social-media, let’s welcome more people and dishes from all walks of life. After all, when it comes to pairings, beer sees no limits.

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My dear beer enthusiasts, I have a hunch that our 2024 beer experiences will be filled to the brim with moments that bring intimate gatherings, conversation and the foamiest of beer. The way of the beerfest has taken a seat for the moment, dear beer friends. And, when I mean “beerfest”, I mean hundreds of people baking under the sun, long bathroom lines and tiny plastic cups. 

This year will  bring smaller, more intimate gatherings that will draw attention to the beer and experience. Whether it’s a ticketed or limited event, an environment to sip and discuss, or a thoughtful tasting menu and bottleshare. These smaller gatherings will give us a chance to really take everything in. 

This year will also bring great foaminess! Mostly from our dearly beloved lagers. A proper pour will not make one fearful, but instead rather curious. There’s nothing like watching a milky mug of foam be carried to a table…this alone makes for great conversation. 

Take in the aroma that Lukr “side-pour” tap has to offer a well-made Pilsner. It sounds like the makings of a delicious 2024 to me. 

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Now that I get to look at the local beer scene through a different lens, some things start to stick out. One of the best things about craft beer in the past was the affordable luxury. You could get a quality product, at an approachable price. That seems to be more the case at my house now than at a brewery, bar or restaurant. It reminds me of 1994, when imported beers were expensive and IPAs were rare. Those were big reasons I started homebrewing. Now craft beer is expensive and red ales are rare. Four-packs priced at $24 and $9 pints won’t make many new beer-drinkers, especially when the liquid is six-to-18 months old. An affordable fresh six-pack of a 4% ABV (alcohol-by-volume) beer is what I am always looking for. 

I would also like to see more breweries and bars doing beginner education with local beer. Like the four ingredients that make beer and differences between hoppy and bitter, for example. Simple, approachable info. New drinkers need to be taught the basics of why they should like craft beer from those passionate about it, not by Googling it. It would also be cool to go to a smaller festival format with hyper-local breweries only. Festivals that highlight the beers that are made fresh in that part of the county. San Diego is so big. Eight tiny festivals that paid brewers for their beer and exposed their local communities to their art at an approachable price would be a luxury. 

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I am quite the easy beer consumer as I revel in all the different flavors, hop varieties and overall creativity and uniqueness in each beer. With that being said, in 2024 I hope to see…well, taste. I hope to see some more creativity and even some brewers taking flavor risks. It’s no secret I am an IPA lover – especially hazy IPAs – so any new flavor variations and hop combos of the sorts would make my heart (and taste buds) happy! I fancy any and all experimental IPAs and am always willing to try something new. So bring on all the new beers that will make their mark in 2024. Also, beer names always intrigue me. I love seeing the creativity through the naming of the beers and knowing the possible back stories. Keep those fun, funky, witty, punny, meaningful and overall unique beer names coming!

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It’s no secret that these are challenging times for local breweries. A tough economy, rising costs, increased competition and a number of other factors are making it difficult for craft-beer operations to remain in business. A number of brewery owners have had to shut their doors and that sad trend figures to continue in 2024.

When sharing stories about breweries going out of business on social-media, many peoples’ reactions and comments are sympathetic, compassionate and encouraging. Unfortunately, they are joined online by laughing-face emojis, hurtful jabs, jokes, GIFs and mean-spirited comments. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and free to express themselves. That isn’t up for debate. But if there’s one thing I’d love to see in the New Year – other than a more favorable marketplace and improved economic conditions for craft breweries – it’s empathy.

In many cases, these breweries represented peoples’ dreams. To not only have such a dream go up in smoke, but have to contend with people laughing about it or hurling insults as it smolders is so awful I can barely fathom it. I understand people have their (likely justifiable) reasons for reacting negatively, but no reaction would be a nice alternative to piling on.

Silence is golden, graceful and, sometimes, a kind gift awarded from a Samaritan traveling the high road. Compassion and empathy are free to bestow and can make all the difference in the world, especially for those in the throes of their darkest hour.