Overrated can be a loaded word, and it’s often hurled at whatever style the latest tastemakers have deemed to be on its way out. Among them are some of the more hype-y styles shaking up the industry since the craft beer boom. Some people scoff at these popular beers, while others line up to snag the first tastes of them. Some brewers just see them as filling up tank space that could have gone to something more exciting and innovative.
The beer industry had a difficult year in 2023, and perhaps some of its stalwarts are beginning to feel a bit stale. Is beer simply facing massive growing pains? And if the industry is entering a new stage, does it need to leave behind some styles to make room for the new? Here, we asked 15 brewers which beer styles they feel are the most overrated. From hazy IPAs to pastry stouts to smoothies lactosed within an inch of their lives, here are the ones the pros believe have been given more credit than they’re due.
The Most Overrated Beer Styles, according to brewers: Hazy IPAs Heavily fruited smoothie beers New Zealand pilsners Sweet, opaque double IPAs Non-alcoholic beers Lactose-heavy beers Pastry stouts Kettle sours Sour IPAs
“This is a tricky question. Although I think there are a lot of overrated hazy IPAs around the world, I respect this style because it’s an ‘entrance door’ for a lot of non-craft beer drinkers. With that being said, my vote
