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Hi Everyone. Welcome to my very first blog post on this site. Hopefully they will evolve for the better as I continue to write more of these. I just thought I’d start from the beginning and talk about the history of craft beer in this country as a way to begin. Anyway, let me get right to it.
What Does Craft Beer Even Mean?
The definition of craft beer is subjective and different for everyone. There is no true definition of it but Brewers Association describes it as brewed by a small and independent brewer.
To me it means the beer is made by a small local brewery that usually brews multiple styles, and more often than not, comes out with new beers on a regular basis. Most of the larger breweries have a ‘craft’ beer now a days that they have either developed on their own or bought another brewery to add to their offerings. The larger breweries that brew their traditional beers (Budweiser, Miller, Yeungling, etc) I don’t categorize as craft beers or brewers, although they all have their versions of a craft beer now.
I use the word ‘craft’ in this blog as part of a modern day vocabulary but you may have heard of other terms as well, most notably ‘Microbrew’. Microbrews started in the mid 80’s and exploded through the mid 90’s. Microbrews by definition brewed less than 15,000 gallons per year and a lot of times were inconsistent in their flavors and quality, hence most of them closing. ‘Craft beer’ is more of a generic term that has no real legal restrictions but in my opinion it has a better connotation.
When Did Craft Beer Start?
Modern U.S craft beer started in the 1960’s with Fritz Maytag buying the brewery that brewed his favorite beer, Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco, after he heard they were going out of business. He immediately set his sights on raising the quality of the beer and adding new styles that didn’t exist here yet (Anchor Porter, Christmas Ale and Liberty Ale).
Modern Day Craft Beer
There are over 9000 craft breweries in the U.S. and more starting up every day (My goal is to visit them all). According to Brewers Association, in 2021 the craft beer market produced 24.8 million barrels of beer in the U.S. with an 8% growth and a 13.1% market share.
When I plan a visit to another city, the first thing I do is check out their local beer scene and try to visit as many breweries as I can. One of the best parts of a new brewery opening up is how they can revitalize a part of town or even a city. So many I’ve visited have been in a part of town you would never previously go to, but the addition of a brewery usually brings additional residential buildings and retail space.
Do You Have a Beer That Got You Into Craft Beer?
I would love to hear your comments about which beer or beers that converted you into a craft beer drinker. For me it was Blue Moon and Dos Perros. Blue Moon is a Belgian White that is fruity and full of flavor and a far cry from that Miller Genuine Draft I was drinking. Dos Perros is a local Mexican style beer brewed by Yazoo that uses a Munich malt that makes the beer look dark but drinks light.