If you’ve been paying any attention to the world of “craft” beer the last few days, you’ve seen the Brewer’s Association’s latest message regarding “real” craft beer vs. “faux” craft beer. According to the BA, a “true” craft brewer produces less than 6 million barrels per year, uses “traditional” ingredients, and is less than 25% owned by a non craft brewer (i.e. anyone that produces more than 6 million barrels or whose flagship uses “non-traditional” ingredients).
Theoretically, these three criteria are all OK. Especially when one considers them as what they really are. They are an attempt by a trade organization, the Brewer’s Association, to define their clientele. Taken in that light, no big deal. The BA is trying to organize the chaotic beer world in a way that allows them to draw a line and say, “These are the companies that are part of our organization. These are the breweries who we, as a trade organization, represent.”
So far, so good. This rough division has been the status-quo (with some occasional, random grumbling) for the past few years. Everyone knew where they fit into the BA definition and they dealt with it as a minor annoyance.
But now the BA is trying to reserve the term “craft beer” to only their members. The BA is saying, “We have defined our constituents; we know exactly who we represent. By the way Mr. Consumer, here is a list of breweries that we have decided can not be members of the BA. These non members are “faux” craft brewers. Don’t support them; they are not “true” craft brewers.” In my opinion, this was a huge mistake.
Full disclosure times two: 1) I sit on the Public Relations Committee of the BA. I occasionally talk to some of the people who were involved in defining craft beer to exclude all the breweries on the above chart, and 2) Tenth & Blake/ MillerCoors has a minority stake (below 25%) in Terrapin. I also occasionally talk to some of the people who will argue they are very much craft despite getting their paycheck from a large brewer.
The inner workings of the beer world are very confusing to outsiders. And truthfully, to many insiders as well. And it’s only going to get more confusing. ABI and MillerCoors WILL purchase/partner with more small breweries. Larger regional breweries such as Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Deschutes, etc, WILL purchase/partner with more small breweries. Several large private equity firms WILL purchase/partner with more small breweries. This trend is just getting started and the list of “faux” craft breweries will continue to grow.
(My hope is the list will eventually become meaningless and the conversation will instead focus on the quality of the beer. Because truthfully, some of the people on the above list make great beers, and some, not so much.)
How can it be anything other than confusing with these examples?
ABI now owns Goose Island. Yes, they have shifted their flagship to the large ABI breweries. But many of their specialty beers are still made at the same Goose Island brewery by the same brewers who worked there when it was craft. Now it’s not craft. Does this make sense to you?
Here is an article that discusses AC Golden Brewing. I personally have been to AC Golden and tasted their crazy, barrel-aged beers. I’ve seen their brewhouse which is 1/4 or less of the size of most regional breweries such as Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Sweetwater, etc. I’ve seen their bottling line which is smaller than the lines being used by Left Hand, Flying Dog, Stone, etc. But they are not craft. Does this make sense to you?
Here is a response to the BA press release from August Schell Brewing. “As a 152-year-old brewery, and the second oldest family-owned brewery in America,” the BA has stated that they are not “traditional” and therefore not craft. Does this make sense to you?
Blue Moon was originally brewed in Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field. They are known throughout the industry for being more experimental, and definitely smaller, than most small breweries in the US. But they are not craft. Does this make sense to you? (Here is a response to the BA from Tenth & Blake.)
Sam Adams for many years was contract brewed at Miller Brewing. Many contract craft breweries are being made now at City Brewing, Lion or even August Schell. They are craft even though they are being produced on the same equipment and by the same brewers that are not craft? Does this make sense to you?
So, how do you keep it straight? That decision is ultimately up to each of you. You have to decide – is it about the beer? Do you purchase and support the beers that you enjoy, or do you potentially ignore great beers from the “non craft” brewers and support potentially mediocre beers just because they are made by the local “craft” brewer?
Me? I’m doing both.
John at Terrapin 
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Id love to leave a long reply, but it seems the points have been made. I will add that its the rise of IPAs that serves as a symbol of the beer snob and push thereto. “If it’s not 80 IBUs, I dont want it.” Beer is so much more than just hops, it’s only hops if you as certain breweries, its a blend of delicious and palatable items.
I been saying that for years and I’ll say it again, “beer snobs need to go away.”
The BA is shamefully full of beer snobs that know a little about beer but are clueless to its true history and purpose. Its purpose, to enlighten those of you that are snobs, is to produce a product that pleases the consumer base. Being that millions of people like beer of all styles the “crafty” brewers and snob brewers alike are fulfilling that purpose. What’s the beef?
kennethetucker on December 18, 2012 at 12:41 am said:
http://beerpulse.com/2012/12/august-schell-brewing-to-ba-in-response-to-craft-vs-crafty-shame-on-you/
“Leaving adjuncts out; IMHO, if you’re making MILLIONS Bbls/yr of beer in a factory(ies) & are a slave to quarterly earnings / SEC reporting / shareholders; YOUR ‘craft’ is maximizing EPS/making money, NOT hand crafting quality #craftbeer for LOCAL consumption #justsaying”
This describes all brewers, the difference is scale, Period. Whether the shareholder is a single person, a family/friends, or investors profit is a must or the business dies. Get a clue people. Mom and Pop burger stand is in fact direct competition with McDonalds.
Home-brewers and beer snobs, there is far more to brewing beer then the 225 page book you have on doing-it-yourself.
Carl –
Prolly not a surprise coming from me, but I don’t think a brewers’ purpose needs to be “to produce a product that pleases the consumer base.” Nor does it need to be the case for many artisan endeavors. Yes, many producers do go that way, and some to even some level of success. When we started in 1996, if we’d brewed beer that the customer base wanted, we’d have been producing a light beer. And I’ll be damned if we were going to have anything to do with a light beer. OK, how about the craft customer base at the time? Fair enough. What there was of said customer base was drinking golden ales, brown ales and…gasp…raspberry hefeweizens. Saxer Lemon Lager was a big hit in 1995/96. We wanted no part of that.
I think an artisan producer’s job is to do what THEY think they should do. If they’re awesome, they provide me with a chance of discovery and enlightenment.
I think that I, and many other people simply view the world from a different perspective than folks like you do. I DO think that there are many artisans out there who are definitely NOT doing it for the money. Sure, a business must turn a profit. I’ve always said that it’s our responsibility to our employees and fans to make sure we’re profitable, otherwise at some point we’d simply have to stop as we’d run out of operating money. However, that doesn’t mean that the people involved chose their path for the money. Most typically in artisan approaches, that’s not the case (well, until the just-looking-for-profit bandwagon jumpers arrive).
If being a snob is learning about something you’re passionate about, setting standards for yourself and what you expect and not being interested in compromising by going below whatever minimum bar you’ve set for yourself, and happily spreading your passion and knowledge to others (like a friend did to me by helping introduce me to “microbrews” in the late 1980’s), well then I am most definitely a snob. Call me one in person however, and I’ll look at you with a quizzical look…and then go about my business (but maybe wonder why it was so important for you to need to let me know that you felt that way).
At any rate, I love this whole craft beer thing. I have for nearly 25 years now. Can’t get enough. I’ve seen the inside too, and I know how the game is played by the big boys in the field and it’s not pretty. Everyone chooses their sides. All this talk seems to suggest that a company’s choices are being called by someone else. Not at all. Everyone decides for themselves what road they go down.
Cheers,
Greg Koch, CEO & co-founder
Stone Brewing Co.
great point of view John. I absolutely agree with everything you said in here, what is “Craft Beer” there is no absolute definition that can satisfy everyone. Yes BA is a member organisation, but it should be promoting ‘Beer’ not just their own members.
In Belgium last month, and I’m not a fan of ‘Westvleteren’ but not sure does there production now class them as non-craft? are Duvel Triple Hop Craft? and my favorite beer of the trip Leffe Royal a 7.5% Golden beer that I think must be the original recipe of Leffe Blonde. Everyone who tried it was surprised by the intensity. And god forbid its an AB product.
Craft Beer is anything other than mainstream beers, and if Blue Moon means someone will try other wheat beers such as Red Hook or Widmer then I’m happy for that. It has got the Craft Beer community talking, but to 99% of the population they don’t care. Beer is Beer unfortunately.
You know when as a teenager you learnt that spitting out the window of speeding car was kind of pointless, and it flew straight back at you. well this has done that to BA.
As I keep mentioning, the true definition of craft has nothing to do with scale or material used. Two craftsman can make a picture frame, one out gold leaf and the other out of toothpicks. Is one “craftier” than the other? The gold leaf frame can be 24×36 and he can make 50/week. The toothpick frame is 8×10 and he can make 25 / week. Does the scale determine whether or not either is craft?
Craft is about manual dexterity and the exclusive use of hands to create. By that definition almost no brewers are truly craft. But I am willing to let that go. Perhaps the definition needs to adjust for the times? Afterall, I do love craft beer..and I use it in my blog name.
Craft is in the eye of the beholder…and buyer. Craft comes down to your individual senses, and the satisfaction the craft brings to them.
BA’s definition almost has no merit because they did it without the input of the whole industry. You can’t just go off creating self serving definitions for a whole market and then call out all that had no input in the definition. Well, you can but the hypocracy will soon be exposed.
Reblogged this on Richmond Beermeister and commented:
Great perspective on craft vs crafty debate from Terrapin owner John Cochran.
Charlie Papazian putting on the Gucci loafers and lobbying hard for his peeps. He should relax and have a homebrew.
23% of BA dues is lobbying and not deductible. You are quite right to put the Crafty letter in perspective- “nothing personal, just business.”
What prompted the letter at this time? This is an old, ugly argument that reflects poorly on the BA as a bunch of ankle biters.
[…] Craft vs. Crafty?. […]
[…] Go read John Cochran’s thoughts (From Terrapin Beer) here. He masterfully drives home the point: This is all so silly, and why should we care about this […]
Great comments from John Cochran!! All the craft brewers have benefited from the technology that has been handed down from the ABI and Miller/Coors of the world. Why can’t we all just get along!!!!
I am late to this post, and I mostly blog about books. But I drink a lot of beer (too much really) and I live in Portland, Oregon, which is craft beer heaven. I understand people who say that they will drink whatever tastes good. But . . . and there is a big but . . . the big producers will stop at nothing to drive out their small and successful competitors, and when they do that, they will return to producing crappy, industrial lager because it is cheaper and there won’t be anyone there to challenge them to produce better beer. You can call me a beer snob if you want, but if I wanted to drink beer brewed by Anheuser-Busch, I’d be drinking Miller Lite. Or something.
Craft beer is different. It is special because I can talk to the brewer, and I can go to the brewery itself, and I can drink a 3 oz. taster standing in what looks like the front office of someplace that should have been fixing my car circa 1989, and that beer can be freaking awesome (cough, cough – Boneyard, I’m talking about you – cough, cough) and it doesn’t taste anything like anything that is ever going to be brewed by someone who isn’t brewing in small quantities. Just like Con Agra is never going to produce heirloom vegetables, and even if they did, I still wouldn’t want to eat them.
[…] haven’t heard the last of the craft vs. crafty debate. The majority of craft beer drinkers want transparency in who’s behind their beer, but […]
[…] Cochran. “Craft vs. Crafty?” John Cochran at Terrapin Beer Co. 18 Dec. 2012. Speaking of which, Brewers’ Association […]
[…] Cochran, brewmaster at the Terrapin Beer Company in Athens, GA had one of the most sober and intelligent responses to the Brewers Association’s missive. It’s important to note that Cochran is a highly respected […]
[…] that is a whole can of worms that I peeked into on December 18, 2012 with a post entitled “Craft vs Crafty”. My personal hope is that we move beyond that and all work on making better, more flavorful […]