What is a craft beer? A simple question with a complicated answer.
We have to start somewhere, so let's start with the Brewers Association's definition. The Brewers Association defines a "craft" brewer as small, independent and traditional. Each one of those requirements is subject to considerable disagreement. Most people would probably think a brewer that brewed 6 million barrels--the equivalent of approximately 990 million 12oz. bottles--is a large brewery. But, as is often repeated, the Boston Beer Company, which makes Samuel Adams and sold approximately 3.4 million barrels of beer in 2013, meets the BA's definition of "small." Thus, Samuel Adams qualifies as craft beer.
"Independent" is defined as less than 25% ownership by an entity that is not itself a craft brewer. This keeps out some of the obvious fakes. Ask the next person you see drinking a Blue Moon or Shock Top whether he or she is drinking a craft beer and the person is likely to say "Yes." But Moon is owned entirely by SABMiller and Shock Top by AB-InBev. Thus, neither are craft beer, regardless of how they are marketed. While the big beer companies have developed in-house "craft" beers, they have also purchased some outside "craft" brands. For example, Chicago's Goose Island Brewery was once a darling of the craft beer scene and is still heavily marketed as a craft beer. However, it is owned by AB-InBev. Poof! It is no longer craft beer. (Note that there is still an independent Goose Island brewpub in Chicago.) Things are also confusing with the Craft Brewer's Alliance, which sells Redhook and Kona. Certainly a brewery with the name "Craft Brewer's Alliance" makes craft beer! But AB-InBev owns over 35% of the Craft Brewer's Alliance. Thus, it is not craft beer.
Now we come to "traditional." Most of us can probably agree that a strawbeer-a-rita malt beverage should not be considered beer, let alone craft beer. But what about Yuengling, the oldest American brewery? Previously, the BA's definition of traditional kept out breweries that used adjuncts, such as corn, in their beer. Thus, Yuengling was not a craft beer because it uses "non-traditional" ingredients--corn. However, the Brewers Association changed its definition of "traditional" in 2014. Now, "traditional" is defined as "A brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation." This recently modified definition now recognizes that adjunct brewing is traditional. We will see if Yuengling joins the Brewers Association.
To summarize, under the Brewers Association's definition Samuel Adams is craft beer, Blue Moon is not, Goose Island was once but is no longer craft beer (unless you are drinking a Goose Island beer that was brewed at the independently owned brewpub in Chicago), and despite being the oldest American brewery in existence Yuengling did not meet the definition of "traditional" beer until 2014. As you can see, this definition leaves some confusion about what is and what is not "craft" beer.
In a recent article, Imbibe concluded "craft" is a shorthand for taste and freedom. I tend to agree that the term "craft beer" is more of a shorthand for what is expected of the beer than what the beer actually is. The term has become synonymous with a tasty and high-quality product, which is why the megabreweries are trying hard to coop the term for their use. A wide spectrum of beer sits under the umbrella of craft beer and we cannot rely solely on that term to distinguish what is and what is not a "good" beer.
In short, know more about your beer than merely whether it is "craft" beer. Where is it produced? Who produces it? Is the brewery locally owned? The answers to these questions do not necessarily lead to a "good" beer, but at least you will know more about what you are drinking.
We have to start somewhere, so let's start with the Brewers Association's definition. The Brewers Association defines a "craft" brewer as small, independent and traditional. Each one of those requirements is subject to considerable disagreement. Most people would probably think a brewer that brewed 6 million barrels--the equivalent of approximately 990 million 12oz. bottles--is a large brewery. But, as is often repeated, the Boston Beer Company, which makes Samuel Adams and sold approximately 3.4 million barrels of beer in 2013, meets the BA's definition of "small." Thus, Samuel Adams qualifies as craft beer.
"Independent" is defined as less than 25% ownership by an entity that is not itself a craft brewer. This keeps out some of the obvious fakes. Ask the next person you see drinking a Blue Moon or Shock Top whether he or she is drinking a craft beer and the person is likely to say "Yes." But Moon is owned entirely by SABMiller and Shock Top by AB-InBev. Thus, neither are craft beer, regardless of how they are marketed. While the big beer companies have developed in-house "craft" beers, they have also purchased some outside "craft" brands. For example, Chicago's Goose Island Brewery was once a darling of the craft beer scene and is still heavily marketed as a craft beer. However, it is owned by AB-InBev. Poof! It is no longer craft beer. (Note that there is still an independent Goose Island brewpub in Chicago.) Things are also confusing with the Craft Brewer's Alliance, which sells Redhook and Kona. Certainly a brewery with the name "Craft Brewer's Alliance" makes craft beer! But AB-InBev owns over 35% of the Craft Brewer's Alliance. Thus, it is not craft beer.
Now we come to "traditional." Most of us can probably agree that a strawbeer-a-rita malt beverage should not be considered beer, let alone craft beer. But what about Yuengling, the oldest American brewery? Previously, the BA's definition of traditional kept out breweries that used adjuncts, such as corn, in their beer. Thus, Yuengling was not a craft beer because it uses "non-traditional" ingredients--corn. However, the Brewers Association changed its definition of "traditional" in 2014. Now, "traditional" is defined as "A brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation." This recently modified definition now recognizes that adjunct brewing is traditional. We will see if Yuengling joins the Brewers Association.
To summarize, under the Brewers Association's definition Samuel Adams is craft beer, Blue Moon is not, Goose Island was once but is no longer craft beer (unless you are drinking a Goose Island beer that was brewed at the independently owned brewpub in Chicago), and despite being the oldest American brewery in existence Yuengling did not meet the definition of "traditional" beer until 2014. As you can see, this definition leaves some confusion about what is and what is not "craft" beer.
In a recent article, Imbibe concluded "craft" is a shorthand for taste and freedom. I tend to agree that the term "craft beer" is more of a shorthand for what is expected of the beer than what the beer actually is. The term has become synonymous with a tasty and high-quality product, which is why the megabreweries are trying hard to coop the term for their use. A wide spectrum of beer sits under the umbrella of craft beer and we cannot rely solely on that term to distinguish what is and what is not a "good" beer.
In short, know more about your beer than merely whether it is "craft" beer. Where is it produced? Who produces it? Is the brewery locally owned? The answers to these questions do not necessarily lead to a "good" beer, but at least you will know more about what you are drinking.
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