Time to Get Crafty?

April 2011

Unless you've been hiding under a barrel of Fosters for the past six months, you'll already be aware that the term 'craft' has been liberally applied to all things beer and brewing. Just about every beer writer in the country has posted their observations about what – in their opinion - the term actually means when applied to beer.

What does it really mean to be a ‘craft’ brewer? Opening a dictionary you can define craft as, “Skill or proficiency in doing or making something; a trade requiring manual dexterity or skilled artistry” – a little frumpy for me.

One thing that appears to unite everyone is that for a beer to be afforded the craft moniker then there needs to be a hefty dose of passion thrown into the mash, along with the right attitude (and aptitude) from the brewers to produce beer that is a heartfelt reflection of their efforts.

The 'micro-brewery' is home for a craft brewer: scattered around the UK, America, Europe and throughout the world, producing beers of notable distinction for their local market and, occasionally, reaching a wider audience. They fit the 'artisan' description by being highly skilled and producing beers of unique and individual qualities. They are the artists of their trade. It would appear that the Americans wrenched the craft ethos from us and there are now many British breweries producing their own renditions of the bolder brews pioneered across the Atlantic: an ironic affair given that US brewers took much of their inspiration and influence from these shores in the first place.

As for James Clay, all of these descriptions reflect the breweries and beers we've been importing for over 20 years. Some of these have grown massively so, in physical terms, we'd struggle to still call them craft beers, but they still hold true to their origins and uphold an integrity to their produce which can only be admired.

The one thing that the upsurge in interest in the craft beer scene has done is to raise the prominence of really good beer, both from the UK and abroad, something we can all agree is a good thing indeed.