What is "Craft"? Do we need a new 'touch-stone' word

[Jephro]

"Craft" is who and what, not how.

I partially disagree with that statement, I consider “the how” (..and The Tao for that matter) every day I’m in the brewery. It means a lot to me and I drink the stuff too... ok, hang on a minute.. maybe I will just agree to disagree with you on that and…

...Moving on to limmckenna's statement referring to the definition of Craft Beer:

The word is getting hollowed out. We either need to re-invigorate it and defend it or get a new 'touch-stone' word for consumers as the word 'craft' as it relates to brewing, will be meaningless soon if we do nothing.

I totally agree with needing a new “touch-stone”… something we as ‘mash paddle brewers’ come up with on our own that speaks to the integrity of the tactile art that is small-batch brewing. If a company is super-successful and outgrows the definition that’s fine and I for one will smile and throw up a high five. But it raises eyebrows when definitons are changed at the same time someone may be outgrowing a specific definition.


I like the USDA Certified Organic Comparison- there is definitely a “How” involved in that definition.

**spark, spark** Anyone want to help light or carry this torch?
If we the Mash Stirring, Mash Mucking, Boot Wearing, Beer Soaked, Back Aching Brewers start a new movement to protect our art [Because at the small-batch hands-on level it is in fact a Tactile Art Form] those wonderful people (known by the big guys as consumers) that we brew for and, in proxy, pay our salaries will know the who, what, how, and why of the beer they drink.

[gitchegumee]

Just so I understand where you're coming from, exactly whom would you like to differentiate yourself from? What part of "craft" doesn't speak to you now? If I'm clean and careful enough to not wear boots; if I have an automated grain-out and mash paddles on my 10hl system; if I work so that my back is not aching, does it make me less of a brewer? Just wondering where this is coming from. i might quite agree with you, but not sure what you're aiming for. Who is "us" and who is "them"?

[LuskusDelph]

"Craft" (with regard to beer) is little more than a marketing term.
I tend to agree with the growing sentiment that what it really all boils down to is that there is "good" beer and "bad" beer. Consumers are finding out that the size of the brewer doesn't always denote craft or quality.

Anyway, "Craft" beer is starting to become so mainstream that the term itself will ultimately become totally meaningless, right up there with "triple hops brewed".
I've always preferred the term "artisan" as a descriptive for the small brewer.
But I think that an even better idea is no 'touch stone' word.
Just make good beer.
Whether we're talking about a nano, micro,or mega brewer, if the beer is good, that's the craft.

[Moonlight]

What's to keep AB-INBev from claiming they are craft brewers? If you can only answer "nothing," then the word has no meaning.

I am personally pissed that the albeit loose definition of "Craft" is now reaching to higher barrelages, just so the growing breweries can still claim the same intimate cache of what brewers with 10 barrel brewhouses do. Time to cut the cord and admit what you bigger guys are and are not.

If there was a definition, I would like to see something like a "Craft" brewery not allowing computers to control the brewing process.

[patrickmathews]

Small batch could be tied to a number

Perhaps the best measure is how much beer you make each year. If you are making 50000 bbls a year I'm sure you aren't using a mash paddle too much. On the other hand, I have had plenty of crappy beer from "craft" breweries that made 5000 bbls a year. Since my idea of crap is diffrerent from everyone else's idea of crap, I think the only way to measure it is output. Small batch breweries should be considered less than a certain number of barrels - I'll throw out a number and say 10000 per year.

I think this is a more objective measure than a particular brewing method. As someone mentioned, there are small brewing systems with mash mixers and unless you are really careful, AB or whoever will hire someone to stick a mash paddle in the top of a 3 billion gallon mash tun and then call it "craft".

[Jephro]

No gitchegumee it does not make you less of a brewer, and i never meant to imply even anyone outside any category is such. I mean no offence to anyone with mash mixers (I have worked on a 10bbl Bohemian with a mixer), automated grain out systems, or sandal brewers (pssst, i prefer brewing in sandals). Rather i was using those examples to get a point across about how small batch is a different animal (or at least in a sub-category) from a, to pick a arbitrary number, 100bbl production system.

Its not an us and them thing. I stand united with my fellow brewer no matter weather you’re a nano, micro, macro, or home brewer.

Moonlight hit the nail on the head as far as the way i feel about all of this.
I hope this doesn’t turn into a flame war, rather a respectful intelligent debate was my intent. If i am proven wrong, fine... that’s why i presented the question to the forum. So bring it on, just leave the flame throwers at home

Now this is just an example to get a point across too, I Love SN Beer!!
While i do enjoy drinking a Sierra Pale or Torpedo, in fact it is what i usually buy if i am buying bottled beer, IMHO the +/-100bbl batches they brew while very tasty and consistent should not be considered to be in the same category as the 10bbl batches the brewers get to brew on the pilot system that is only sold in the pub in Chico.

I am not implying that all bigger breweries make piss water beer, but come on you have to admit that when any beer goes into mass production something is lost. Not to imply it is bad, it's just different. It is nothing to be ashamed of, hell i'd be proud of it if the entire country was drinking my beer.

Maybe i should compare this to buying an original piece of artwork compared to a print or mass reproduction of it. Does that hold water for any of you?

[Jephro]

unless you are really careful, AB or whoever will hire someone to stick a mash paddle in the top of a 3 billion gallon mash tun and then call it "craft".

LMFAO that is sooo true.

and to reiterate... the mash paddle, boot, mixer was not meant to be a specific division of anything or anyone. just examples to get a point across.

BTW even A-B has a 10bbl play house for the brewers to experiment on. In fact I knew one of them when i was still brewing in St. Louis. Where do you think the Michelob "craft beer" got its start? Most of those brews are actually pertty good too.

[einhorn]

The only inherent problem with the discussion is that, in order to include some and exclude others, for whatever reason, you will need to set up some sort of criteria. The BA did do that and, probably in it's inception, picked an arbitrary number being 2 mio. bbls - more than likely not realizing 1) that someone would actually reach that number 2) that this factor alone would be ground for discussion if "craft" or macro.

So, if you are going to coin a new term, you too will be required to add clear and measurable borders which will be the basis of the entrance requirements. Not so easy, as we can see from the emotions and arguments in this thread.

[Moonlight]

Maybe i should compare this to buying an original piece of artwork compared to a print or mass reproduction of it. Does that hold water for any of you?

My favorite artwork holds beer.

[Rob Creighton]

Perhaps craft can include corn grits or rice. Maybe the line should be drawn where you create more than one label for a wort. Macro's generate dozens of sku's from each brand and dozens of brands for each wort.

A regional here in Ontario that was recently bought by ABInbev, produced one wort to generate their no alcohol, light, lager, draft, premium lager, ice, dry, strong, Mexican knockoff and a couple of dark beers that were artificially darkened. Even in the '70's and early '80's we had 65-70 brands from a dozen worts at Labatt. High gravity simply allows the notion of quality to easily disappear at the labeler.

[jesskidden]

...The BA did do that and, probably in it's inception, picked an arbitrary number being 2 mio. bbls - more than likely not realizing 1) that someone would actually reach that number ...

Wasn't the "under 2 million barrels/year" figure more or less simply taken from the Federal Excise Tax Reduced Rate criteria (circa 1976-77, and so pretty much pre-dating the "microbrewery/craft" boom). Thus making it seem a somewhat "official" and impartial definition of "small brewer".

In the mid-1990's the old "Institute for Brewing Studies" still defined a "large brewery" as over 500,000 bbl. so by the time of the merger of the old Brewers Association of America and the IBS's Association of Brewers in 2005, it would seem that it would have been easy to predict that the Boston Beer Company (which reached 1.5m bbl in 2006) would be approaching the barrelage limit within a few years.

[BeerBoy]

Depends on...

I put "craft beer" in the same category as "porn" - I know it when I drink it. And it's similar to rating beer: taking something subjective and trying to make objective. I don't think there'll ever be a word(s) that sums up the unique "flavor" of the artisanal brewer and it falls under the old saw of "ask 10 brewers and get 11 opinions...". But it's fun trying! And it does making for good discussion/reading - keep it up.

[WitsEnd]

What has more weight?

Beer vs Craft Beer
Brewery vs Craft Brewery

Does it really matter?

I enjoy a variety of beers from my favorite breweries.
Do I need to clarify that they are craft beers from craft breweries?

I think elevating the meaning of "beer" would do everyone a service rather than segmenting into "beer" and "craft beer".

[LuskusDelph]

Beer vs Craft Beer
Brewery vs Craft Brewery

Does it really matter?
I enjoy a variety of beers from my favorite breweries.
Do I need to clarify that they are craft beers from craft breweries?
I think elevating the meaning of "beer" would do everyone a service rather than segmenting into "beer" and "craft beer".

That last sentence is the best, most sensible observation I've heard in a LONG time. Bravo!
Good beer is good beer.

Make good beer, and you don't need to hang any kind of niche label on it (unless you're really just going after snob appeal).
If the beer is good, the craft will speak for itself.

[einhorn]

Not to be a downer, but neither you, I or the entire BA has the power or the money to change what "beer" means. As long as 95% of Americans drink BMC, including Michelob Ultra, Bud Select 55 and MGD 64, you cannot elevate a generic term with those beers and without the Big Boys.

The craft beer movement, for lack of a better term, is doing it's part, piece for piece, consumer for consumer. Keep the course ladies and gentlemen, it seems to be successful.