A few decades ago, to see what was trending often required a little research. Depending on your subject of interest, you may have just needed to watch the news for a few nights, listened to the radio for a few hours, picked up the right magazine, or watched an awards show or two on television.

Back then, seeing what was trending often required some research. But that also meant for something to trend, it had to beat the test of time. It couldn’t become insanely popular overnight because Kim Kardashian tweeted about it or a celebrity designed it.

It had to be something with some value all its own. It may have helped that a celebrity wore it, said he or she liked it and endorsed it. But if it wasn’t something people liked for what it was, it often didn’t stay in the public consciousness long enough to become a trend.

But that is not the case nowadays. In the internet age, all it takes to become trendy is for the right celebrity to tweet about something or post a picture on Instagram. Their millions of followers, whether they hate it or love, take it from there.

Trends have been and always will be inevitable. Everyone wants to have the new, cool thing. Every business wants to get in on the ground floor of the next great thing, whatever it happens to be.

The craft beer industry is no different—and there are several which craft beer drinkers should be aware of:

•         The popularity of lagers is expected to rise. Brewers supposedly got on the lager train last year, so this year, consumers are expected to follow suit.
•         Wild and spontaneous fermentation will grow in popularity. What is that? Rather than add yeast grown in a lab, brewers are opening their wort (unfermented beer) to the elements and letting nature take its course.
•         No more lactose? Apparently, some brewers have been adding lactose to their mash to create what has been called a milkshake IPA. It seems that this trend is dying out.
•         Wine forward beers: This doesn’t just mean beer made with grapes but beer brewed with some aspects of the winemaking process intertwined.
•         Brut IPA—an IPA made with brut champagne yeast.
•         Diet Beer: No one will ever call their beer ‘diet’ like a diet soda, but low-calorie beers are starting to become more common. The ABV is lower but those concerned about their waistline that don’t want to cut back, it is an option.

There are many more, of course, like the rise in session sours and several business-related trends (i.e., more taprooms and brewpubs coming soon). Some are being pursued by companies because market data tells them that is where the industry is going.

So—does that mean you should stock up on lagers the next time you hit the store or light beer? Does that mean you should pass on a milkshake IPA for a brut IPA?

Absolutely not.    

So, in today’s world, whether your interested in fashion, movies, music, or beer, you can’t always trust that something trending is actually any good. That is not to say that all trends are bad, just that it is good to see for yourself if something is any good and draw your own opinion.

Afterall, The Best Things In Life Aren’t Free. Sometimes you have to be willing to Make Waves; you know—Be You, Be Bold, Be Peachy. Don’t be afraid to be The Odd Can Out. Remember—Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beer Holder.

Don’t be afraid to buck the trend. Be a Trend Bucker. Orange is still cool, but Beer Is The New Black.