Another year down, another round of predictions to review and new ones to make. As always, we’ve been watching, brewing, and learning alongside you. Here’s a look at what defined craft beer in 2025, what surprised us, and what might be waiting in the wings for 2026. ## 2025 in Review: What We Got Right (and What We Didn’t) ✔️ Lagers Kept Winning Our call that craft lagers would keep gaining ground held up, especially with standout wins at this year’s AIBA awards. Both Kaiju! and Stomping Ground took home Trophies for their lagers, and Bluestone Yeast was right there in the tank driving those winning brews (and the AIBA to celebrate). If you want to brew a killer lager in 2026, we should talk. ✔️ Community Came First Festivals, tap takeovers, and small-scale events continued to matter. This year, Bluestone sponsored a range of local events, including the IPA Cup in Brisbane, multiple homebrew comps around the country and Grainstock, helping to bring brewers and drinkers together, strengthen community ties, and keep the focus local. ❌ Non-Alc and Seltzers, A Mixed Bag While big players dominated the headlines, some craft breweries found their lane by delivering genuinely high-quality, community-driven alternatives. Take Bulla Creek Brewery, for example: their ginger beer is exactly what locals want and proves there’s room to differentiate, even in crowded segments, by listening to your audience. 🟠 The Cost Squeeze Rising input costs hit everyone, brewers and drinkers alike. But here’s something you might not know: repitching your yeast can cut your yeast costs by 80, 90% when done right. And it’s much easier than you think, especially with Bluestone Yeast’s aseptic repitching system. If you’d like to slash costs and keep your brew quality high, reach out today. 🟢 Surprise Hit: Hybrid Styles The rise of hoppy lagers and cold IPAsclassic styles, reimagined proved brewers aren’t done innovating with yeast or tradition. This year, West coast Pilsners, NZ Pilsners and Italian Pilsners joined the mix, giving drinkers something both familiar and fresh. Expect even more cross-style experimentation ahead. ## The Guinness Effect: When Big Beer Changes the Game Arguably the biggest story in Australian beer this year? The Guinness Effect. Thanks to the Lions Tour, Guinness found its way onto more taps than ever, often replacing a craft handle in the process. It’s a reminder of how fast the landscape can shift, and how consumer tastes (and pub priorities) can pivot on a dime. But here’s the upside: Instead of ceding ground, local brewers jumped into the dark beer resurgence with their own easy-drinking dark lagers and stouts. One standout? Hop Nation’s “Melbourne Black”, a dark beer that captures everything people are loving about this trend, sessionable, flavourful, and distinctively local. ## Thinking About Your Own Dark Beer? If you’re inspired by the Guinness wave, we’ve got you covered. Our Dublin strain is ideal for a classic Guinness-style stout, and if you’re eyeing a dark lager, our Pilsen strain makes an outstanding Schwarzbier. Both are proven, reliable performers trusted by top Aussie brewers. ## 2026 Predictions: What’s Next for Aussie Craft Beer - Will Guinness Zero Dominate the Non-Alc Wave? Non-alc demand isn’t slowing down, and Guinness Zero is poised to be a major player. Will it open the category for more local zero-alc innovation? That’s the bet we’d make. - Mid-Strength and Session Styles Expand With health-conscious drinkers on the rise, expect to see more mid-strength and full-flavour low-alc options. Brewers who master this balancing act will win big. - Lager Innovation Rolls On Classic lagers, hybrids (like cold IPAs and West Coast lagers), and emerging styles like NZ Pilsners and Italian Pilsners will keep expanding their footprint. If you want to lead this wave, the right yeast is essential. - Sustainability Moves From Buzzword to Baseline Whether it’s ingredient sourcing, energy use, or packaging, sustainability will shift from marketing angle to baseline expectation. - Localism and Collaboration Reign Hyper-local sourcing, co-brews, and unique taproom experiences will continue to differentiate the best in the business. We’ll again be sponsoring many events in 2026 to help grow and support the beer community. And as the only local yeast manufacturer offering next-day delivery with full Australian provenance, Bluestone is uniquely positioned to support your brewery’s local story. If supporting local matters to you, support your local yeast supplier! - Big Events = Big Opportunity With the World Cup on the horizon, watch for global brands (including Guinness) to ramp up campaigns and pop-ups. But don’t underestimate the nimbleness of local brewers to tap into the excitement with themed releases and collabs. ## Call to Action: Ready to Brew the Next Trend? If you want to ride the dark beer wave, our Dublin strain is your ticket to classic dry stout, Guinness-style results. Prefer a dark lager? Pilsen nails the classic Schwarzbier profile, clean, smooth, and deeply drinkable. Want to join the likes of Hop Nation? Whose Melbourne Black is already a cult favourite among dark beer fans. Lets chat. Thinking lagers or hybrids? Kaiju! and Stomping Ground have Trophies with Bluestone-driven lagers. Reach out if you want to be next. And if supporting local matters to you as much as it does to us, know that we’re the only yeast lab offering next-day delivery of fresh, Australian-made yeast, backed by people who genuinely care about your beer. Got questions, or need help matching the right yeast to your next big idea? Get in touch, we’re always here to talk trends, troubleshoot, or just share what we’re seeing in the industry. Here’s to a creative, collaborative, and delicious 2026, let’s make it the year of bold brewing! --- Brewing lagers? Check out our Lager Programme for award-winning strains, nutrient support, and repitching guidance.