Craft beer and the myriad of different styles that are driving interest

Craft beer has been a revelation to the brewing world since first arriving on the UK scene 20 years ago, reviving worldwide interest in one of the oldest industries.

In that time the craft industry has diversified from a handful of initial labels sold in UK bottle shops and supermarkets like Tesco to a huge range of breweries offering beers with widely different taste profiles.

Latest stats from retail analysts NIQ (February 2026) show that the UK craft beer industry has grown by nearly 20 per cent in the last four years in a market now worth £368 million a year.

Within the craft beer category there are at least 10 widely different styles and for the casual beer drinker the range of choice can be quite overwhelming, especially with their eye-catching labels all calling out for shoppers’ attention.

These styles now include IPAs, Double IPAs, Hazy/New England IPAs, West Coast IPAs, Imperial Stouts, Session IPAs, Sours, Craft Lager and more.

But it’s these independent craft breweries that are driving interest with demand for their beers growing by 15 per cent per cent faster than the total craft beer category in the last year (NIQA data April 2026).

Tesco was one of the first UK supermarkets to stock craft beer and over the last five years in particular, interest has grown so much that it now stocks more than 60 craft beers in total across its estate with many of its larger stores having up to 40 different brews.

And while major brands like BrewDog, Beaver Town and Camden initially helped bring craft beer to a wider public it’s now the smaller independent labels that are driving growth by introducing variations on established styles.

UK beer fans have never had it so good in terms of choice and we have certainly come a very long way from the days just 20 years ago when basically all there was available was either lager, ale or stout.

“Craft beer has diversified into a multitude of punchy, highly flavoursome, thirst-quenching styles and highly imaginative independent brewers are really driving the movement with a ‘sky’s the limit’ type attitude.

“There are outstanding brews being created on a daily basis across the UK with a large variety of style profiles to suit every taste – from sours, sweet and even roasty and bitter tasting stouts, smoothie style fruit beers, and crisp, hoppy IPAs.

- Tesco Craft Beer buyer, Christian Clark

With interest in craft beer continuing to grow Tesco has just added 30 new lines to its shelves.

These include the following;

IPA – An India Pale Ale or IPA for short. These beers usually have a hoppy taste, bright aroma, firm bitterness and bold flavour.

Double IPA – Much stronger than a regular IPA, these beers usually sit between the 7-10% ABV mark and have a distinctly hoppier and maltier taste.

Hazy IPA/New England IPA – As the name implies, a cloudy looking beer, with a full body and usually a strong fruit taste.

West Coast IPA – A clean tasting, clear, dry hop forward beer that is defined by its bitterness, and intense piney flavour.

Session IPA – A lighter, easier going beer – typically 3-4.5%ABV, that has a more rounded flavour and reduced bitterness. They are considered a good stepping stone for anyone wishing to broaden their beer tastes from lager to something a little more complex.

Craft lager – These are brewed for far longer than big brand lagers and have more pronounced flavours. Still crisp, clean and fresh tasting but with more emphasis on bringing out the taste of the hops and malt.

Imperial Stout – Sweet, rich and strong and treated more like an after dinner treat that you sip rather than a thirst-quenching beer.

Sour Beer – A beer variety that originates from Belgium Lambics and German Gose and brewed with wild bacteria and yeasts to create a tart, acidic profile.

ENDS