These Are the Top Beer and Wine Trends for 2019, According to Whole Foods

Summer is frequently the time you see people sipping on strange cans of things you've never heard of. Or maybe you're spotting them on Instagram in over-posed shots of people having a good time in a backyard. Whole Foods is offering a little insight into all the things you'll see this summer by bringing together its experts to highlight what they believe will be the biggest booze trends of 2019.

The trend predictions were put together by Whole Foods' master sommelier Devon Broglie and one of the company's industry experts, Doug Bell. So, if you're drinking for the 'Gram, drop the Modelo and get ready to delve into some trends you might be tired of already.

Last year, Whole Foods stepped away from hoppy beers to forecast the continued growth of Mexican beers. However, this year, it's predicting you're going to see an expansion of IPA varients like milkshake and brut IPAs. If you're a craft beer aficionado, you've probably already seen your favorite breweries dip their toes into these trendy waters. Yet, the styles are becoming even more prevalent with versions from some of the nationally distributed craft brewers like Full Sail, Sierra Nevada, and Ommegang.

It's been mentioned here before, but companies are chasing the fitness crowd. Low-calorie beers and wines are growing in popularity and becoming increasingly accessible. Whole Foods highlights FitVine (under a gram of sugar per glass) and Cense (85 calories per five ounces). Many breweries are digging into low-calorie options as well, whether that's your local brewery, Boston Beer, or even big beer. It's also part of the reason so many breweries are starting to make their own hard seltzers, which frequently hover around 100 calories and are gluten and sugar-free.

The company says sake consumption in the US is "reaching all-time highs." Whether it's in restaurants or liquor stores, sake has gained fans and shelf space. You're even seeing clever packaging like the new single-serving "Easy Cup" sake from Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Whole Foods also notes sake appeals to drinkers with special diets since it's "free of sulfites, gluten, and tannins."

"Oregon wine is having a moment," the report says. It grew 16% last year, far outpacing the 3% growth of wine at large. "The Willamette Valley specifically has quickly established itself as the premier growing region in the state, offering the ideal environment for growing early ripening, cool-climate grape varieties, particularly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay."

Now you have a sense of what's going to be around this summer, whether you're looking to have a trendy drink or just want to know what the hell people are doing on social media.

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