I just can’t seem to help myself but regularly ponder how to best define “craft beer” – or more accurately how to distinguish real craft from faux craft. It is, I admit, a fairly unresolvable matter. This particular round of craft navel-gazing is do the the fact that the Merriam-Webster dictionary (props to Chad for sending me that link, by the way). It is not a particularly good or useful definition but it prompted me to spin it into a Beer 101 column this month – which you can read here. As usual I won’t repeat everything I say there (then what would be the point of giving you the link?), but I will highlight a couple of matters. First, the Merriam-Webster definition: “a specialty beer produced in limited quantities”. For good measure I also look up the Oxford definition: “a beer with a distinctive flavour, produced and distributed in a particular region”.
See what I mean by not being very helpful?
The “limited quantities” and “particular region” got much of my attention, and in the column I break-down how that is not a useful demarcation for craft vs. non-craft. Along the way I argue that size doesn’t matter – especially here in Canada where most brewers are quite small from an American standard, including Big Rock and Mill Street. After wandering through the mire of defining craft, I settle in on what may be an equally unhelpful principle – but at least it is my principle. I end up contemplating that a key feature of craft brewing is “integrity” – in production and marketing.
It is a useful concept, I think, and one the has the potential to properly categorize the world of beer. Its main problem is operationalizing it. Other than “I know it when I see it”, it can be hard to discern intentions of action. It picks off the easy ones, but those are never where craft definitions flounder. It is on the breweries that float on the margins between the categories.
I plan on further contemplating the issue in next month’s Beer 101, so expect some more marginally helpful ramblings soon.
It is amazing what 7 words can spawn, eh?
October 24, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Integrity is also hard to define, can be very personal, but I do like your explanation. Minhas is the obvious one that comes to mind, but Brecknock and their “organic” marketing is another western canadian example.
Not trying to make craft beer seem like some sort of exclusive club or secret society, but you either get it or you don’t. This isn’t always easy to explain to relative newbies or “outsiders.” In fact, I did a tasting 2 weeks ago at a Regina Public Library where the question was asked, “what is craft beer?” Best I could answer is that it is kinda complicated, there are multiple factors, size is certainly not one of them (which is which microbrewery is an outdated term). I used the term “honesty,” in regards to what they do (similar to integrity). Craft brewers are a part of the local culture/food community. Craft brewers should be accessible and visible; the relationship between producer and customer is on more of a personal and eqaul level. Craft brewers are passionate about producing quality flavourful product, which might be the easiest concept to grasp, though this can also somewhat subjective.
October 24, 2012 at 9:09 PM
When it comes to craft beer I always break it down to the word “Craft.” A craft product offers something interesting about it. In beer I see this as distinctive flavours, aromas and other things. I really don’t distinguish by size, if they came out with a great Bud spin off I would call it craft. In the past I would have said Big Rock isn’t craft as I find their products bland an uninteresting, but my mind is changing with some of their newest special brews (but I’m still on the fence, only time will tell here). Integrity might be a poor choice of words for my as the Canadian brewers are currently fighting to not have their ingredients labeled on their products. Is that integrity?
Lastly I’d like to come to Labatts defense and say that we can’t say for sure that Keith’s isn’t an ale. It is not an IPA but it could be a cold conditioned ale and you probably couldn’t tell. I have it on good authority that Yukon’s Chilkoot Lager is actually and ale that is fermented cold.
October 25, 2012 at 4:18 PM
Kurtis,
I understand your point, but it would take A LOT (like seeing their fermentation schedule and yeast strain with my own eyes) for me to believe that AK is an ale. I am of the opinion that it is possible to tell the difference between a lager yeasted beer and a cold-fermented lager. It has been a long time since I have tried Chilkoot (why depart from their Gold, Red and Stout since they are all so damned good), but maybe should try it again.
I still believe that AK is a lager. But thanks for keeping me and everyone else on their toes.
October 24, 2012 at 9:43 PM
When I think of anything “crafted” I picture someone creating something and standing behind it with pride. Any craft beer I can think of has a brewer behind it. All the big beer companies just seem like faceless money hungry marketing machines.
October 25, 2012 at 9:39 AM
For me, a ‘Craft Brewery’ is one who places emphasis on the quality of their beer above all else. (most) Albertan breweries seem to spend more time crafting their brand identity and silly PR campaigns than they do working on the beer. If it smells, tastes and looks like macro swill… its macro swill, no matter how nice the website and packaging are. Many great American craft breweries focus on brand identity and still produce world class beer (Stone, Three Floyds, Goose Island, Sierra Nevada etc). Its a balancing act, but its possible and profitable.
October 25, 2012 at 11:34 AM
Just saying, but does Goose Island complicate the craft moniker further as well? I’m not saying it is or isn’t craft (and in fact I don’t know mcuh of the ins-and-outs of the sale) – but It could potentially muddy things up, no? 😉
October 26, 2012 at 10:41 AM
AB’s takeover of Goose Island was definitely a concern for fans of that brewery (myself included). A lot of us anticipated a drop in quality or selection of their more expensive to produce beers, particularly the barrel aged stuff. The consensus so far is that the quality hasn’t been affected, and my personal experiences concur. The brewing network did a great interview with GI’s brewmaster where they discussed these concerns. With AB-inbev writing the cheques, GI was able to double their production of bourbon county stout without affecting the quality.
The more I think about the example of Goose Island as a craft brewer, the more complicated it becomes in my head. Is it more important to support a small/local guy making good beer or a huge guy making great beer? Either way, the ‘Craft beer’ concept does seem entirely subjective.
October 25, 2012 at 4:07 PM
Matt, I am just curious, but other than Big Rock, none of the Alberta breweries HAVE a significant marketing budget, so I am not entirely sure to what you are referring. Maybe I am reading you too rigidly, but it simply isn’t my impression.
October 25, 2012 at 4:12 PM
I just want to say I have been appreciating everyone’s take on what “craft” means to them. While the words are very individual, and there is much to differentiate in terms of emphasis, there is also a clear commonality. It makes me more confident that maybe craft is something you can put your finger on. However, Mark might be right that either you “get it” or you don’t – and most of the commenters are clearly in the former.
Still, very interesting. Thanks all!
October 26, 2012 at 10:56 AM
I stumbled upon this blog a few months ago while trying to research Minhas beers as I had just been hired as a tour guide in the new Calgary brewery…. I have to say thank you as you taught me a heck of a lot about craft beers and brewing (even if it was technically not applicable to my job, in fact knowing what I now know made me feel like a fraud). I was unable to find a contact link which is why I’m commenting here to thank you for helping me learn something new. Admittedly I was a person who did not even like beer (still trying to find one I really like) as I’m known as a “super taster” so I can taste the crap in all macro brews more so than the average person….