Fruit flavors popular in craft beer

Ballast Point Brewing Co. recently sold for $1 billion.

While the San Diego-based brewery has a wide portfolio of beers and won the 2015 U.S. Beer Open crown, Ballast Point is best known for its flagship grapefruit-flavored Sculpin IPA.

The deal goes to show just how popular fruit flavors are in beer.

And the grapefruit style has been especially popular. Craft beer pioneer Sam Adams released its own grapefruit-flavored IPA earlier this year. Stone Brewing Co. of Escondido, California and Sun King Brewing Co. of Indianapolis are among others with their own varieties.

There's plenty of fruit outside of grapefruit that's being experimented with, too.

Here’s a six-pack sampler of craft beers with other sweet fruit flavors.

Apricot Ale from Pyramid Breweries headquartered in Seattle: The wheat beer was first introduced in 1994, when it won the first of several Great American Beer Festival gold medal. It uses real apricots. Pyramid has locations in Seattle; Portland, Oregon; and Walnut Creek, California.

The wheat beer was first introduced in 1994, when it won the first of several Great American Beer Festival gold medal. It uses real apricots. Pyramid has locations in Seattle; Portland, Oregon; and Walnut Creek, California. Black & Blue from Dogfish Head of Milton, Delaware: The specialty Belgian-style golden ale is fermented with blackberries and blueberries. The berries are pureed before being added. The yeast feeds off the sugars of the berries as well as the barley during brewing.

The specialty Belgian-style golden ale is fermented with blackberries and blueberries. The berries are pureed before being added. The yeast feeds off the sugars of the berries as well as the barley during brewing. Blushing Monk from Founders Brewery of Grand Rapids, Michigan: The Belgian raspberry ale returned in March after a four-year hiatus. Fresh raspberries condition the wheat-based malt. The beer was the original release in the Founders Backstage Series.

The Belgian raspberry ale returned in March after a four-year hiatus. Fresh raspberries condition the wheat-based malt. The beer was the original release in the Founders Backstage Series. Hell or High Watermelon from 21st Amendment Brewery of San Francisco : The summer seasonal wheat beer adds fresh watermelons during secondary fermentation. The Bay Area brewery was founded in 2000 and brews just two blocks from the San Francisco Giants home stadium.

The summer seasonal wheat beer adds fresh watermelons during secondary fermentation. The Bay Area brewery was founded in 2000 and brews just two blocks from the San Francisco Giants home stadium. Strawberry Harvest Lager of Abita Brewing Co. of Abita Springs Louisiana : The wheat beer in the brewery’s Harvest series uses Louisiana-grown strawberries that are picked during their prime sweetness. The series also includes grapefruit, lemon wheat and pecan beers.

The wheat beer in the brewery’s Harvest series uses Louisiana-grown strawberries that are picked during their prime sweetness. The series also includes grapefruit, lemon wheat and pecan beers. Wisconsin Belgian Red from New Glarus Brewing Co. of New Glarus Wisconsin : The Wisconsin-exclusive brewery mixes locally farmed-wheat and Belgian roasted barley with Montmorency cherries. The brewery said there’s over a pound in each bottle. New Glarus has also experimented with raspberries, apples, peach, strawberry and rhubarb flavors.

About this series

The #Beer Insider is a series that looks at brewery trends and news around the country.

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