Seeing as it’s still American Craft Beer Week, we thought we’d give you an explanation as to what makes a beer a craft beer! Simply put, craft beer, or a microbrew, is beer that’s not brewed by one of the large brewery corporations.
So if that’s what it’s not, then what actually is a craft beer? According to the Brewers Association, an American craft brewer must be:
- Small – annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less.
- Independent – less than 25% of the brewery is owned or controlled by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not a craft brewer.
- Traditional – a brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation.
So now you know what a craft beer is, hooray! Here are a few to get you started…
Hops & Grain Brewery Greenhouse IPA – Each month, the brewery changes the hop varieties used for dry-hopping to offer a different aroma and flavor experience with each release of Greenhouse IPA.
Odell Brewing Co. Loose Leaf – Crisp and refreshing like any respectable session ale, but a bit more hop-forward and flavorful than some. Perfect for going with the flow!
Spec’s carries a huge variety of craft beers and we have the experts to help you navigate this ever-expanding field of fermentation! Come see what you’ve been missing!
