What is craft?

In a previous blog post (“Chronological List of Microbreweries…” September 11th) it was pointed out that a handful of very old and longstanding American regional breweries were “grandfathered” into the craft beer sphere a hundred or more years after their founding.  This had everything to do with the changing definition of craft beer. 

In the early days of the industry, the Association of Brewers –now known as the Brewers Association—defined craft breweries as those that produced less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year.  What the AOB quickly learned was that as the larger craft breweries grew and increased annual barrelage, the definition of a craft brewery would have to change as well.

Over time, one of the leading brewers and member of the Association was experiencing stratospheric growth, thus the AOB found themselves chasing the production benchmark set by the Boston Beer Company.  This raised plenty of eyebrows and concerns over using annual barrelage as part of the definition of a craft brewery.  When the uppermost limit reached six million barrels (while most craft breweries’ barrel production was several zeroes less), the Association had to recalibrate.

Another part of the craft brewery definition was that no more than 25 percent of a craft brewery can be owned or controlled by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer.  But the lines became increasingly blurred.  Following the acquisition of Goose Island by Anheuser-Busch in 2007 -and several other small brewers in the coming years, it became increasingly difficult to keep up with true craft brewery and brand ownership.

In addition to large brewing companies buying up smaller ones, corporate brewing entities began foisting craft-like beers on the unknowing public without divulging the true source of the product.  Think Blue Moon and Shock Top, and the many other labels that rode the Craft beer coattails to varying degrees of success.  “Craft vs. Crafty” became a provocative comparison. 

Small, Independent and Traditional were supposedly the cornerstones of craft beer.  But this definition, too, was eventually assailed as hypocritical for overlooking the most traditional breweries in the U.S.: the Regionals.  Some of these –often family-owned—breweries had been part of the American brewing landscape for a century and more.  Eventually, the Association modified its requirement that craft brewers must use a minimum of 50% barley in every beer produced.  This opened the door to long-time American regional brewers D.G. Yuengling, August Schell, Point, F.X. Matt, and Narragansett, joining the craft brewing community.

We may not have seen the last of the craft beer definitions, but rest assured, there is room in the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame for everyone who deserves to be there.