What craft beer trends can we expect to see in 2016?

After a year that saw brewers aging everything but themselves in bourbon barrels, the thought of predicting 2016’s craft beer trends might incite panic in some beer snobs. 2015 wasn’t easy. If I see another Grapefruit or White IPA, I might have to move to Burgundy and take up viticulture. On the other hand, some trends end up being solid additions to the craft beer landscape, shaping the industry in indelible ways for years to come (Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, anyone?)

So what can we expect to trend in 2016? Here are a few styles to pay attention to.

India Pale Ales
According to data from the Brewers Association, India Pale Ales accounted for just under 28% of total craft beer volume produced in 2015, making it the most popular craft beer style by far. This beer category has grown roughly 10 times its 2008 size, something reflected in the vast number of iterations currently on the market: Tropical IPAs, Black IPAs, English-style IPAs, Belgian-style IPAs, Red IPAs, Rye IPAs—and let’s not forget how the IPA’s influence has bled over to other styles that now have the word “hoppy” plastered on their labels. Look for even more experimentation within the IPA style in 2016, paying particularly close attention to Single Hop IPAs with experimental hop strands.

India Pale Lagers
With the IPA category constantly being reimagined, expect the IPL, a relatively new creation without the same kind of style-recognition as the IPA, to pick up steam. In an IPL, different hop combinations can be showcased in front of a crisp lager background. It’s important to note that larger brewers like Leinenkugel and Samuel Adams have put out IPLs recently, a sign that they also sense this is an area for growth in the craft beer market.

Nitro
While I have mixed feelings about this trend, I doubt my reservations will impact its growing popularity. I enjoy the use of nitro for darker beers, where it can highlight a brewer’s choice in malts by replacing the harshness of CO2 with a much smoother mouth feel. But it seems like we’re flirting with the same kind of mindset that fueled the IBU races of yesteryear, as brewers use nitro for the sake of nitro because, hey, the next guy is using nitro. Newsflash: nitro will not make your beer better if it sucks to begin with (although it’ll probably improve sales).