What Is Craft Beer? The art of brewing beer

Second chapter in our Beer Series is about craft beer. 

In the last episode, you learned something new about the building blocks of beer. Today, we will tell you a little bit about the term "Craft Beer".

But before we are diving deeper into craft beer we first want to tell you what the term “craft” is all about. 

Until today there is no common definition for the term “craft”, it basically has countless descriptions and interpretations. 

One thing that is clear, is the fact that the term was first introduced in the Middle Ages where it was associated to craftsmanship. Back then, craftsmanship itself was a profession that required particular skills and knowledge of skilled workers, mostly in the sense of handicraft.

Today craft is everywhere: from the local bar to shops and social media. Craft is not just a word. It’s a movement.

It all started in 1983 when The New York Times wrote an article about a Seattle brewer, naming it a micro-brewery. 

Two years later a local beer writer, Vince Cottone, started to refer to micro-breweries as craft breweries and craft beer. 

That is when the term craft beer was introduced.

Now 30 years later there is a specific definition for a craft beer. According to the American Brewers Association

https://www.brewersassociation.org/

• A craft brewer doesn’t produce more than 6 million barrels of beer a year.
• The brewer has to be independent. Meaning that less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned.
• Finally the craft brewer has to be traditional which means the brewer has to use traditional ingredients and fermentation, at least for the majority of the total brew volume.

You can't generalize it. However, there are some very good beer being made today by brewers that don't exactly fit these qualifications. 

So, it should be pointed out that just because beer is or is not considered 'craft beer,' this does not mean that the beer is good (or not). In other words - every beer and every brewer has a unique story to tell :)

To give you an idea what the meaning of craft beer is all about, check this awesome video. It’s an oldie, but still does the trick.

So, craft beer is all about taste discovery and experimentation. Be part of the evolving future of the beer industry. Fun, and making your dreams come true. Here at MiniBrew, we spend our hours to give control back to people, so you can create fresh craft beer at home. Check how it works and click here.

Cheers!

Team MiniBrew