Quality and variety instead of mainstream: the hype surrounding craft drinks

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Times and people change. And so do trends and preferences. You can observe this every day. Especially when it comes to the ever-changing topics surrounding lifestyle.

One characteristic of our times is the growing urge for something "different" and special. On the one hand, we want to do more and more good for ourselves and place more value on luxury and ourselves (e.g. sport, conscious eating, clothes and travel).

On the other hand, we have less and less desire for "standard" and mainstream. The more unusual and rare, the better. Be it in terms of vacation destination, clothing or food and drink.

Growing demand for drinks from small producers

The rise of craft beverages also fits in with this. Drinks that do not come off the assembly lines of large factories in runs of millions. Instead, they are made by hand in small quantities.

"Real" people who give drinks something original and individual . With new ideas, a meticulous focus on the quality and origin of the ingredients and a constant drive to develop new creations.

These lines already explain the hype. Craft beer, craft spirits, craft coffee and lemonades fulfill this growing desire for quality, variety and diversity of taste.

Enjoyment and knowledge go hand in hand

The hype surrounding craft drinks is also due to the growing awareness of high-quality food and drinks. The more we learn about recipes and production processes, the more we appreciate them. And the more we appreciate them, the more we engage with them and want more of them. The natural cycle of all trends and hypes.

Craft beer has spawned traditional brewing recipes, but also completely new styles . Everyone is beginning to realize that there is more to beer than just barley malt and that hops don't just taste bitter. We are also learning that beer does not have to be filtered - it tastes much better unfiltered.

Gradually, we are all realizing that supermarket coffee is not only cruel to coffee farmers' wages, but that the industrial shock roasting of coffee beans destroys the entire aroma. In contrast, gentle long-term roasting produces a more complex and pleasant taste with more pronounced aromas and less unwanted acidity.

The renaissance of spirits is particularly remarkable, resulting in countless new distilleries and varieties. Among other things, we learned that gin doesn'tjust taste like juniper, that grain is not just good for disinfecting and that German whisky and vodka can taste fantastic.

It also feels like a new, trendy lemonade comes onto the market every week. Whereas in the past you had to choose between Coke, Fanta, Sprite and Lift Apfelschorle, today there are matcha lemonades, wacky iced teas, hop lemonades and cherry-coffee and raspberry-hop malt juice lemonades.

Honest & Rare: The first online marketplace for drinks from small, regional producers

But there was still one small problem. The hype surrounding craft beverages has spawned a number of new manufacturers and drinks. The increase in awareness and enthusiasm for handmade drinks is ultimately leading to more and more suppliers.

However, "craft" is synonymous with small and regional, which is why most producers and drinks do not get the visibility and attention they deserve.

In supermarkets, the big, powerful players are slow to be ousted. As a result, craft beverages are still only available regionally or very sporadically and fragmented in a few specialist stores - and then always in a limited selection.

This is why Honest & Rare was created last year. The aim is to discover and experience these often hidden drinks. Smaller producers can offer their products online, giving drinks fans a place to go for special, hard-to-get drinks.

The hype surrounding craft drinks is far from over. We can hardly guess what wacky and delicious creations we will discover, how the mainstream will develop in relation to the craft scene and what super-hypes will follow craft beer and gin. Because times and people change. In the meantime, the only thing we can do is enjoy.

If you've enjoyed this article, if you've already been bitten by the hype or if your mouth is simply watering, then we invite you to discover Germany's largest selection of craft drinks. Just click on the category that interests you:

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