breweries

What Makes a Craft Brewer?

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craft beer brewersWe aren’t shy about our fanaticism for craft beer. We love to geek out about everything from the differences between IPAs and brown ales to the definitions of
hops and ABV. And of course, we can go on and on about what beers you should pair with your favorite foods.

But let’s take a step back from all that for a minute and ask a few important questions: What exactly is craft beer? How do we define craft brewing? What makes a craft brewer different than a regular one? These terms get thrown around a lot, but there’s often still confusion over what they mean.

Defining the Craft Brewer

The Brewers Association, the organization that is designed to “promote and protect” independent brewers, defines an American craft brewer as having three characteristics: it is small, independent and traditional.

Small
A craft brewer maintains a relatively modest production: no more than 6 million barrels of beer per year.

Independent
No more than 25% of a craft brewery can be owned or controlled by an alcohol industry member that is not also a craft brewer. In other words, a giant brewery wouldn’t be able to own 40% of a craft brewery and still be labeled “craft.”

Traditional
A craft brewer devotes the majority of its total beverage alcohol volume to beers with flavors originating from “traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation.” Flavored malt beverages (such as fruity wine coolers) don’t count.

Types of Craft Brewers

The Brewers Association also identifies four different categories:
brewpubs, microbreweries, regional craft breweries and contract brewing companies.

• Brewpubs: Restaurant-breweries selling 25% or more of their beer on site
• Microbreweries: Breweries producing less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year, with 75% or more sold off site
• Regional craft breweries: independent regional breweries with a majority of volume in traditional or innovative beers
• Contract companies: businesses that hire other breweries to produce their beer

Fun Craft Brewing Facts

• Craft brewers blend new and classic ingredients, often resulting in distinctive, interesting flavor combinations
• Craft brewers are able to stay creative and independent, without the influence of a non-craft brewer
• Most Americans live within 10 miles of a craft brewer

The Cult of Craft Beer (Inside the Delicious New Trend)

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craft beer IPAThe craft beer boom is not just a passing trend. Craft beer drinkers are, if anything, becoming more passionate and numerous over time as more people get excited about how and where their beer is made.

Craft Beer by the Numbers

According to data collected by the Brewers Association, craft beer production and consumption is growing rapidly in the United States:
• In 2005, there were 991 brewpubs, 354 microbreweries and 55 regional craft breweries
• In 2014, there were 1,412 brewpubs, 1,871 microbreweries and 135 regional craft breweries
• Just between 2013 and 2014, the rate of growth of craft breweries (an average of the growth of the three categories) was 19.4%
• U.S. craft beer sales went up 17.6% in 2014, compared to just 0.5% of overall beer sales

So why is craft beer such a growing trend right now? Why are craft beer fans so enthusiastic? Here are just a few tasty reasons for craft beer’s rise in popularity.

Creativity

Beer lovers just aren’t satisfied with boring or mediocre beer anymore. They want to be surprised and delighted with new flavors and ideas. Craft breweries are creative and agile, and they are able to experiment to develop innovative beers.

Taste

Beer is becoming more like wine in how people taste and appreciate it. Craft beer enthusiasts want to learn about a beer’s ingredients and production process. They are interested in sampling and finding beers that match their personal preferences and pair well with a great meal.

Connection

Craft breweries are invested in both their customers and their communities, and that connection is important. Drinking a delicious craft beer is even better when it’s made by a company that uses local ingredients or supports local causes.

Collaboration

Within the craft beer industry, there is a great sense of camaraderie – the feeling that our collective success is important. Brewers are generous with their expertise, trying to help each other out and looking for opportunities to collaborate when possible. For example, Dogfish Head’s Rhizing Bines imperial IPA is a delicious East-Coast-West-Coast collaboration with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.