Most trend pieces are written from sales reports. This one is written from behind a bar on NW Market Street in Ballard. We change our fourteen taps constantly and restock a fourteen-door fridge every week, so we see what people actually order, what they ask for, and what they stop asking for.
Here is what has changed on our side of the counter this year.
A few years ago, asking for a lager at a craft taproom could get you a look. Now it is often the first thing people ask for.
Local brewers have answered with real care: crisp Czech and German-style pilsners, soft Munich helles, Mexican-style lagers for the summer. A good lager is one of the hardest beers to brew, because there is no big hop or roast to hide behind, and Washington brewers are making some of the best we have ever poured. Fair Isle and Halcyon have had lagers on our taps, and a few minutes' walk away in Ballard, Stoup Brewing is known for crisp pilsners and lagers.
If you have only ever had mass-market lager, try a fresh craft pilsner in a 5 ounce pour. It is a different drink.
Every autumn, for a few weeks, Northwest brewers rush hops from the Yakima Valley straight into the kettle, often within a day of picking. Fresh hop beers taste green, bright and alive, and they are gone almost as soon as they arrive.
This year we had fresh hop beers from Halcyon, Matchless and Machine House among others, and they sold faster than anything else on the wall. It is one of the few things in beer you can only get here, only now.
Hazy IPAs are not going anywhere, and we always have one on. But people who drank nothing else for years are asking for clear, dry, bitter West Coast IPAs again. In the city that grew up on them, that feels right. Reuben's Brews, a few blocks from us in Ballard, and Hellbent Brewing in Lake City both make West Coast IPAs that people cross town for.
People are drinking more thoughtfully. We see more requests for session beers, lighter lagers and table beers under 5%. From Portland, Kings & Daughters is built around hop-forward beers that are often lower in alcohol, and they have found a real audience.
The biggest change we see is in pour size. We pour every tap in 5, 8 and 16 ounce sizes, and more people than ever order two or three small pours instead of one or two pints. You taste more, drink less, and stay curious.
Not long ago, non-alcoholic beer was an afterthought. Now there are NA IPAs, stouts and lagers that taste like the real thing, and people choose them on purpose: drivers, people training for something, people taking a month off, people who just do not want a drink tonight.
We gave it a proper shelf in the fridge, not a token can. If you have not tried NA beer in a while, try it again.
Hard seltzer used to mean a can from a supermarket. Now we pour it on draft. Triceratops has had a blood orange hard seltzer on our taps, and it is one of the easiest things to hand a friend who does not like beer. It means a mixed group can all sit at the same table without anyone settling for something they do not want.
Washington grows more apples than any other state, and local cider has never been better. Dry, farmhouse-style ciders from makers like Greenwood Cider are some of our favorite things to pour. It is also a natural answer for anyone avoiding gluten.
For all the new, people still light up when we have a Belgian classic like St. Bernardus on draft, or a bottle of something wild and aged. Oregon's de Garde Brewing in Tillamook makes wild ales that stand with the best in the world, and closer to home Holy Mountain Brewing in Interbay is known for oak-aged and mixed-culture beers. The trend there is not new beer, but respect for beer that takes years.
Ballard has a whole brewery district, with many breweries within walking distance of us. People make an afternoon of it, and a lot of them end up on our patio.
The quietest trend might be the biggest. People want somewhere to sit with the kids and the dog, try something new, eat something good, and not be rushed. Delivery and online orders are here to stay, and we do plenty of both, but the room and the patio are what bring people back.
That is what we try to be. Families are welcome. Dogs are welcome inside and on the patio. The pizza is made fresh here on organic Washington flour dough. The taps change every week.
What is the biggest craft beer trend in 2026? From where we stand, it is craft lager. People who used to order only IPAs are choosing pilsners and helles, and local brewers are making excellent ones.
Is non-alcoholic beer popular? Yes, and it has improved enormously. We keep a dedicated non-alcoholic shelf in our fridge, with IPAs, lagers and dark beers.
What is fresh hop beer? Beer brewed with hops that go from the field to the kettle within about a day, without being dried. It is only made in late summer and autumn and only lasts a few weeks.
Are IPAs still popular? Very. Hazy IPAs remain a staple, and clear, bitter West Coast IPAs are coming back, especially in the Northwest.
What is a hard seltzer? Carbonated water with alcohol and fruit flavor, usually from a neutral fermented base. It is lighter than most beer and naturally gluten-free in most cases.
We are at 2446 NW Market St in Ballard. The current taps are always on our Untappd page, and the fourteen-door fridge holds far more than we could ever list. Take something home, or drink any can here for $2 corkage.
What is on tap · Types of beer: the full guide · See the menu
