Have you noticed any changes in what people are drinking over the last 12 months? Have there been trends in what you are selling more of?

Cave Direct/Beer Merchants: We’ve seen the market shift in all kinds of directions. One of our main brands, Paulaner, had a really good year because people are starting to look for quality lagers rather than the dull, mass-market ones. Little can touch German Helles, so we’re really lucky to have them in our portfolio along with Hacker-Pschorr.

The biggest success though has been Kona Big Wave, which we think has benefitted from the trend for hoppy beer going mainstream. It’s got that huge hoppy aroma of an IPA, but is so crisp and light that anyone can enjoy it. It’s a brilliant beer that’s being drunk nearly as fast as we can ship it. This trend is great news for other hoppy beer brewers.

Caps and Taps: Sour beers have noticeably increased in sales this year, especially at the end of the summer. We’ve also been getting requests for lower ABV dark beers, perhaps in response to the super strong imperial stouts.

BeerHawk: “We’ve seen plenty of evidence that the migration to “craft beer” continues, with many customers discovering new breweries by sampling their hoppier IPA’s as a start-point.  We’ve also seen a significant increase in sour beer sales, driven by some great new beers and what seems to be a slightly different demographic starting to enjoy these.”

Hop Hideout: I think people are definitely more open to trying new beers and new styles, the increase in UK breweries (and their experimentation and research of historic styles) and the more available nature of imported beers from across the globe have helped peak beer drinkers’ appetites and interest.

I always remember when we opened in November 2013 we stocked Siren beers and no-one really picked them up in Sheffield. Fast forward six months later and people couldn’t get enough of their beer!

This year has been big and juicy double IPAs, rye IPAs, barrel-aged stouts and sour beers from Berliner Weisse to Gose, to classic Belgian gueuzes and saisons. Collaboration beers have been some of the quickest selling beers in Hop Hideout (e.g. Siren’s – Rainbow Project) and I can see this continuing, with potentially more traditional/classic breweries partnering with innovative set-ups.

Just look at the Mikkeller/Lindemans and Mikkeller/Boon collabs. I’d kind of like to see Sam Smith’s Yorkshire squares get some use from Buxton or Magic Rock but who knows if that could ever happen! I can only but dream.

Hopology: Sour & barrel aged beer are selling well. People are trying and enjoying some of the more challenging Belgian beers now: Lindemans Cuvee Rene and Saison Dupont converted a lot of people.

The Brew Testament: “For us, the demand is weighted towards pale ales with a serious hop focus. In the last 12 months, we’ve seen our customers maturing and trying other styles they may not have tried a year ago.

This includes seasonal styles like saisons and sours, and particular growth in different finishes and ageing vessels. Overall, we’ve also seen a confidence in customers looking for lower alcohol beers.”