What is your definition of "craft" beer? Did you know there was an official definition? According to the Brewers Association, the trade association representing the majority of U.S. brewing companies, the definition is "small, independent, and traditional." Independent simply means that "less than 25% of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer." Traditional means "an all malt flagship (the beer which represents the greatest volume among that brewers brands) or has at least 50% of its volume in either all malt beers or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor." And until this week, small meant "annual production of 2 million barrels of beer or less."
To put this in perspective – since 2 million barrels sounds like a lot – here are some facts and comparisons:
- 1 barrel = 31 US gallons
- In the first quarter of 2008, before its acquisition by Belgian giant InBev, Anheuser-Busch sold over 25-million barrels just in the U.S.
- Boston Beer Company, makers of Samuel Adams and the largest craft brewery in the United States, are poised to break the 2 million barrels produced mark for the first time this year.
- Sierra Nevada, the second largest American craft brewery, produces roughly 700,000 barrels a year.
- Cigar City Brewing in Tampa produced about 4000 barrels in 2010.
- In 2009, 1,595 American craft brewers produced just under 9.1 million barrels of beer combined.
In a move that has surprised some, and angered a few, the Brewers Association this week has changed the definition of "small" to increase from 2 million barrels a year to 6 million. Craft beer lovers around the country exploded across the internet with their opinions, ranging from "so what?" to "This is bullshit and Sam Adams isn't even really craft beer anyway".
This article appears in Jan 13-19, 2011.