# Seasonal Craft Brews Brew Master Joel Manning Discusses Mill Street's Collection of Summer Beers By Alyson Wyers | Published 2015-07-10 | About Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/summer-beers References: [youtu.be](https://youtu.be/81Q19sAJd9c) & [millstreetbrewery](http://millstreetbrewery.com)  One of the best ways to cool down in hot weather is to enjoy ice cold summer beers, especially in a social setting with friends or family. [Mill Street Brewing](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tea-time-lemon-wheat) Company Brew Master Joel Manning recently visited the Trend Hunter office to discuss some of Mill Street's seasonal beers and the history behind their development. The [seasonal summer beers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/summer-beer-range) have a complex but smaller flavor profile, typically with a [lower alcohol content](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lowabv-brown-ales) as well. This is because such brews are typically intended for volume drinking and allow consumers to taste test and discover their favorite picks. This includes the hoppy Stargazer English summer ale, a lemon tea beer and the Belgian-style Ginger Cat. Manning notes that craft beer, particularly in the summer, focuses on drinkability and adaptability. Mill Street enables this with intentional packaging. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.1/10 - Popularity: 31% | Activity: 84% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [About](https://www.trendhunter.com/about) > [Fun](https://www.trendhunter.com/fun) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Summer Seasonal Beers:** Increased demand for small-batch seasonal beers emphasizes the need for breweries to experiment with flavor ingredient combinations as a point of competitive differentiation. - **Drinkability:** Craft breweries are experimenting with lower alcohol volume in order to increase the appeal of session beers to casual beer drinkers. - **Intentional Packaging:** Small breweries can create disruptive packaging strategies that help their beers stand out on store shelves, such as incorporating unique labels, unusual can/bottle shapes, or even barrel-aged or bottled-conditioned beers. ### Who This Affects Most - **Craft Beer Industry:** Craft brewers can take advantage of the trend towards seasonal and smaller flavor profiles to differentiate themselves from mass-produced beer brands. - **Packaging Industry:** As more craft breweries enter the market, the packaging industry has an opportunity to innovate purposefully designed containers and labels that stand out and reflect a brand's values and identity. - **Beverage Distribution Industry:** Craft breweries can use distribution channels to gain access to new markets while increasing their brand visibility and competitive advantage. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Dry-Spiced Pilsner Beers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pilsner-beers.md) - [Summery Seaside-Inspired Beers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/citrus-sea-ipa.md) - [Golden Hybrid Lagers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/josephsbrau-summer-brew.md) - [Fruity Wheat Beer Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wheat-beer-collection.md) - [Seasonal Lager Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/seasonal-lager-program.md) - [Solar-Celebrating Summer Ales](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solar-summer-ale.md) - [Pride-Themed Beer Launches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tea-time-lemon-wheat.md) - [Sessionable Summer IPAs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/summer-ipas.md) - [Summer-Centric Hoppy Pilsners](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hoppy-pilsner.md)