The popularity of the domestic beer market is comparable to that of liquor, and beer plays an indispensable role in both daily life and social gatherings. Especially in the hot summer months, people are keen to enjoy a cold can of beer while they are barbecued. However, in recent years, domestic beer has gradually taken on the deprecating label of "industrial beer". Why is this happening?
Hop Extract: Cost as "Original Sin"
The reason why domestic beer is in a trough of taste is largely due to the abuse of hop extract. Hop extract is a concentrate extracted from hops, which is favored by breweries in industrial production for its low cost and easy preservation, which is also the root cause of domestic beer's inability to get rid of the "industrial" brand.
You must know that our country is not an important place for hop planting, and most hops are mainly imported through Europe and the United States, and the price and cost are naturally not low. In addition, factors such as long-distance transportation, material preservation, and natural damage will also greatly increase the manufacturing cost of beer. In contrast, the advantages of low-cost, easy-to-preserve hop extracts are obvious, and to put it bluntly, the abuse of hop extracts stems entirely from cost compression.
The "Taste Crisis" of Domestic Beer
Looking back at the 90s, domestic beer was loved by consumers for its fresh and natural taste. However, the taste of today's beers is very different, and a closer look at the ingredient list shows that hops, which used to be made from hops, are now replaced by hop extracts (some beers are still hops extract although a certain percentage of natural hops are used). Although hop extract is non-toxic, it is difficult to replicate the unique flavor of natural hops, causing consumers to slowly feel the "dimensionality reduction blow" in quality.
Of course, hop extract is the cause of the "taste crisis" of domestic beer, and hop extract only accounts for the majority. The other part is also related to the recipe change. For example, in the past, the only four basic ingredients needed to brew pure beer: hops, malt, water and yeast.
However, many domestic beers are now produced with a variety of excipients, such as edible alcohol to increase the alcohol content, baking soda and citric acid to control the amount of foam, and malt flour to rapidly increase the wort concentration. This kind of beer made by "technology" means often uses ultra-low prices to attract consumers, thus hiding huge flaws in quality.
But this low-price strategy can't be done once and for all. With the improvement of consumers' requirements for beer quality and the rise of craft beer, domestic beer is facing great challenges. These handcrafted craft beers have a distinct taste and unique flavor, raising the bar for beer demand, and domestic beers pale in comparison.
National regulations make it clear that food ingredients must list raw materials, which greatly improves the transparency of product quality. Consumers have also learned to identify the quality of beer by the ingredient list. Under such a trend, I hope that domestic beer manufacturers can learn a lesson, adhere to quality, and avoid leaving the shadow of "industrial beer" that cannot be washed away by domestic beer. Only beer that is truly brewed with heart can regain the reputation and trust of consumers.