New Beer's Eve: Alberta craft brewery trends to watch in 2018

While you may not need an excuse to tip back a bottle on New Year's Eve, it doesn't hurt to have a good excuse for why you have a hangover on the first day of 2018.

With around 80 craft breweriesup and running and another 20 or so expected to open in Alberta over thenext year, it might seem like a daunting task to sift through a sea of suds.

Haydon DewesofThe Daily Beer blogjoined theCalgary Eyeopener for a "beer in review" and a look ahead atwhatlocal companies will be brewing upin the new year.

Barrel-aged beers

Dewes says brewers are going to become "more specialized" as competitionincreases and barrel-aged beers will increase in popularity next year.

He says a beeraged in wine or spirit barrels "develops a nice complexity" and takes on the flavour of whatever liquid was previously in the barrel.

Dewesrecommends trying Troubled Monk Brewery'snew releasecalled "Plumb Out of Puns, a plumb,barrel-aged beer" that's beenaged for 15 months.

There's also Big Rock Brewery'sbarrel-aged three packthat Dewes says is great for sharing.

One-off beers

Breweries need to be innovative and interesting to keep up with the competition, and limited runs of one-off beers is another rising trend with local breweries,Dewes says.

He says a big part of craft beer isfinding something new. One-offs give beer aficionados a chance to try something that might never be available again.

"I think it's a craft beer thing where people want to try as many different beers as possible,"Dewes said."For better of for worse, people just want to tick the boxes sometimes and say 'yep, I've tried 5,000 different beers and I'm out to find even more.'"

Competition might end co-operation

Dewessays Calgary has two "brewery clusters" the southwest'sBarley Belt and the Beermuda Triangle in the northeast where breweries have opened up very close to one another.

So far this has led the breweries to work together to help drive business, but Dewessuspects the days of co-operation in Calgary might be coming to an end.

"What we may see in2018 is the end of the friendliness that we're seeing in the craft beer market at the moment," he said."You're going to reach a point where the bottom line will matter and suddenly, as competition heats up, maybe [breweries]don't want to be as friendly to the people next to them."

So what should Idrink on New Year's Eve?

If you're searching for the ultimate Calgary craft beer to ring in the New Year, Dewessays you might have a bit of a hunt on your hands.

DewessaysVillage V, brewed forthe fifth anniversary of Village Brewery,has beenbarrel-aged three times and is alsoa very rare one-off beer.

"You're going to have to struggle to find it but if you can get ahold of it, it's going to keep you warm,"Dewessaid."It's around 10 per cent alcohol, perfect for a cold winter's night."

• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Q&A: What Alberta's economic growth in 2017 will mean for next year
• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Job hunting tips from Calgary's 'LinkedIn Wizard'

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener