The evolution of craft beer is nothing short of fascinating. Concepts that are at first considered to be extreme are often quickly accepted as the latest and greatest trend. A great example of this is the use of lactose in craft beer.
For decades, the only time lactose in craft beer was discussed was with milk stouts. These were low ABV, medium bodied stouts that used the addition of milk sugar (lactose) to add sweetness. For this reason, they are called sweet stouts as well.
It seemed as if everyone was quite happy with this use of lactose. Many breweries made milk stouts and their customers enjoyed them. Lefthand Brewing even found enough success that their milk stout became their flagship beer. That says a lot how much most consumers appreciated this style.
But there’s a been a shift as lactose is being found in places never once considered acceptable. There’s no denying that lactose in craft beer is gaining popularity.
What Is Lactose And Why Is It In My Beer?
Understanding what lactose is would be a great place to start. In fact, you can check out this article to learn all about milk stouts and the use of lactose in them.
As a quick recap, lactose is milk sugar. And as you may have guessed, it comes from milk. What makes this sugar unique is it isn’t ferment-able. Most sugars convert to alcohol during the beer making process but lactose remains in the finished beer.
The result is a beer that has added sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel. Historically, these aspects were typically associated with stouts but brewers are pushing the boundaries and adding lactose to all types of styles.
Want to learn more about lactose in milk stouts? Check out this article.
What Styles Have Lactose In Them?
As mentioned above, lactose works very well in stouts. Nothing has changed with that thinking and many stouts and porters utilize milk sugar for added sweetness and texture. However, it is worth noting that lactose is rarely the only extra ingredient in modern stouts.
The concept of pastry stouts (super sweet, dessert-like beers) have become quite popular and many of these use lactose along with a series of other items to boost sweetness. These other ingredients can include maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, etc.
But the use of lactose doesn’t stop at dark beers anymore. From lager to sour ales, brewers are experimenting in just about every way.
One of the styles that is currently pushing the lactose movement is the Milkshake IPA. Most credit Tired Hands for this style of beer that took the New England IPA in a new direction.
New England IPAs have a heavy body and sweet, fruity flavor. This is amplified in the Milkshake IPA with lactose. The result is a sweeter beer that some say resembles a milkshake, hence the name.
In similar fashion, berliner weisse and gose sour beers have taken to the use of lactose as well.
Brewers like adding fruit to these styles to balance out the tartness and give their customers variety. Lactose fits naturally to get the added sweetness that many beer drinkers are seeking. The popularity of heavily fruited berliners have really taken off recently and I foresee more lactose dosed sour beers in the future.
But it doesn’t stop there, breweries are using lactose in any style where they want to express sweetness and gain a creamy texture. Pale Ales, Sours, Brown Ales, IPAs, Porters, Stouts, Lagers, Blonde, Wheat, Cream, and the list can go on and on.
Learn More About Milkshake IPAs
Lactose In Craft Beer – Just A Trend?
Predicting where craft beer is headed is nearly impossible. What seems like a trend can quickly become the new normal.
The New England IPA is a perfect example of a style that was controversial at first but now has been fully accepted by the community and industry. Adding lactose to just about every beer is a current trend that is getting a lot of attention.
And it should get attention. Not only are fans of craft beer asking for sweeter beers, but those that are new to craft beer can often find flavors they never expected in a beer that alone can make them into craft beer fans.
However, some of the attention isn’t positive. There is a very large portion of the population that is lactose intolerant. And while some beers use low amounts of lactose, the level of intolerance varies person to person. So if lactose in craft beer becomes too popular, it will make it difficult for many to enjoy their favorite brewery.
Is lactose in craft beer just a trend? No, I don’t think it is. The use of lactose isn’t new in the beer world and brewers will continue to experiment and push the limits.
Currently, drinkers are asking for sweeter and sweeter beers. So lactose will be the answer to the demand until the popularity of sweet beers decreases.
Lactose will be a part of the ongoing conversation. However, I do think it will settle down as time progresses. As with all beer styles, consumers will dictate how many lactose’d beers they want to see on a regular basis as well as what styles of beer it should be in.
Which leaves us with just one last thought; do you like lactose in your beer? If so, in what styles?
11 thoughts on “Lactose In Craft Beer: Not Just For Stouts Anymore”
Call me a traditionalist, but I prefer lactose to be restricted to milk stouts. When I first began my craft experience, I liked sweeter styles of beer, milk stouts included. As I progressed in my journey, my tastes shifted to the point that I now find milk stouts somewhat too sweet for me and downright cloying in some cases, although the carefully measured, judicious use of lactose in milk stouts can make for some very good beer. While I have tried a milkshake stout or two, I find them a horrid mess IMHO. I think a large part of the recent trend toward lactose involves trying to grab the attention (read money!) of a younger generation of juice box babies (no disrespect intended) who have grown up with a huge sweet tooth, expecting that all their beverages should be sweet, so their taste preferences are no surprise. As further evidence, just look at all the (sugar) flavored liquor out there being marketed to this generation. Then there’s all sorts of ‘sweet coffee’ drinks. Let’s face it, sugar sells. And it is exceedingly cheap. More sugar, less hops and malt, more profits. Just the humble opinion of an old-school guy.
There’s no doubt that some of the use of lactose is purely to help better market a beer or brewery. If it is what people want, then breweries are bound to provide it. The trend towards sweeter beers isn’t going away. It is one of the things that has been driving craft beer for a long time. It started with simple fruited wheat beers and has led to pastry stouts and lactose’d IPAs. Who knows where it will go from here. Cheers!
I do enjoy lactose in stouts and NEIPA’s and I’m glad it’s gaining popularity to provide more diversity to craft beer. Though it’s not something I always look for or prefer. It almost appears as if it’s the next big thing in craft beer and a lot of breweries are using it but I hope the fundamentals aren’t lost.
I completely agree. I’m a big fan but I don’t want to see too many lactose beers on tap. Maybe 2 or 3 at most is enough. It is all about variety and too many lactose beers ruins that.
Completely agree! I know a brewery where almost every beer is DDH with lactose. Very little variety. I have no desire to go to a brewery that has only one style of beer on tap.
I’d imagine they sell a lot of them but the breweries that tend to do the best have a focus on a few styles but still offer variety.
Exactly, flagships with some circulating taps.
Breweries have an awful track record as far as warning labels. Lactose is a common “allergen”, and is listed on food products. This should be standard products for all ingestibles. I have a condition, a genetic mutation, that means I don’t produce the enzymes that digest lactose. It doesn’t make me gassy, but it does mean that dairy products cause lacerations to my vital organs and smooth my brain before being stored in the adipose tissue until they reach toxic levels. Surely it doesn’t cost that much more to add allergens to labels in addition to the rest of the included information
Hey Joel! I really appreciate your insight here. I can only imagine how cautious you have to be when ordering beer. There has been a lot of talk about adding more nutritional information to beer labels including ingredients, allergens, and calories. I think there will be laws eventually but I agree that breweries should be more upfront about allergens. Good luck and hopefully we see change soon!
I’ve been super into the Milkshake IPA’s lately. I really dig the creamy mouthfeel. Living in the North Eastern US, I have access to many of these amazing craft brewers pushing boundaries. As much as I could drink these lactose beers all day every day on how sweet and delicious they are, my tummy gets pretty upset after just one or two unfortunately. Great for a pint or two, but not something I’d want to drink all night. I mean I totally want to, but I better not.
Totally agreed! They are delicious but even those that can handle lactose can still feel the effect of having too much. Glad these beers exist but I often move on to something different after having one. Cheers!