I love IPAs, Double IPAs, Imperial Stouts, and Bourbon Barrel-aged Whatever beers as much as the next beer nerd. That said, no one can drink a half-dozen of them with their friends on a Friday night without falling down a flight of stairs. What’s the deal with the IBU and ABV tendency to go to the extreme?

Thankfully, in recent years the IBU wars have effectively ended. It seems the voice of the consumer is being heard, and both ABV and IBU are on the decline. In the last year or so, I have seen menus with expanded lower ABV beer offerings. “Session” has become the new buzz word, and I am in love with it. The brewery where I volunteer has a 3.6% ABV mild on the menu that’s become my choice for consumption with friends. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my IPAs, but being able to put down three or four brews over a few hours of sports and conversation about nothing with friends and walk away still upright and coherent sure is nice.

So why the switch? Well, it makes economic sense to start with. I recently heard an interview with the brewers at Founders, about the success of their All Day IPA. This new session beer is 4.7% ABV and they cannot make enough of it. It has become their top-selling beer because consumers want to buy it buy the bundle. It’s a very good beer, and you can drink several without getting that “slow-pan, freeze-frame” sensation that lets you know it’s time to slip a big glass of water in the mix. It is also less expensive to produce. Golden Road is on the same trajectory with their Wolf Pup session IPA at 4.5% ABV. It is a good “beach beer,” being flavorful, crisp, and refreshing.

Berliner Weiss has also made a huge comeback as well for the same reasons. Considering this style of beer isn’t uniquely American, the “Motherland” of Germany needs to pick up its industry jaw. It would appear that beers in the 4% range are good business, and thankfully, the craft beer industry is listening to the market.

Homebrewers are doing the same. My “Weapons Load Wheat,” clocking in at 4.7% ABV, is ideal for those hot summer days for the very same reasons. It was less expensive to produce, came out dry (1.008 SG/2° Plato) and had great citrus character from the Cascade and Mandarina Bavaria hops. This beer performed extremely well in my focus group, and people raved about it.

The next time you are at your local brewery or in your preferred spot to purchase beer, take a look around at what consumers are buying. I’ll bet you’ll see a lot of lower ABV and IBU beers, because they both “taste great” and are characteristically “less filling.”

So get out there, and try something that isn’t barrel aged, 11% ABV, or has an advertised 120 IBUs. You might be surprised how great these “session” beers really are.