Pubs have been a central social cornerstone in European culture since the time of the Romans. These community gathering spaces allowed and encouraged locals to get together and often discuss public events — thus the term "public house." They weren't always having hard-hitting conversations, however. Many people would just sit and pass the time. The thing that separated pubs from the cafes of the time was the focus on beer and wine rather than coffee or tea. However, many pub owners capitalized on their location by operating adjacent shops where people could buy general goods.
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A significant portion of Europe's oldest alcoholic beverage companies were first the in-house brand of a small pub, as they began to offer specialized beverages. The focus on beverages often meant that early pubs only had a minuscule variety of food offerings, termed "pub fare." At first, some of our favorite dishes, like fish and chips, started as cheap options for working-class pub patrons.
Pub history in the United States continued to evolve along similar lines. Pubs in early America were not fancy establishments with menus full of drinks and dishes. They were simply a place for people of all stations and circumstances to gather and converse on an equal playing field.
The rise of industry produced increased immigration in the s, leading to great diversification in the ingredients available to breweries. With more available ingredients, brewers shifted the American drinking culture to accommodate a much broader range of tastes. Pub patrons were suddenly able to experience a wider range of brews and drinks, such as the Sazerac, which is thought to have been created in New Orleans.
America's taste for beer and breweries has remained steady. Today, about 63% of adults drink alcohol, with 42% of them preferring beer. In recent years, the number of options beer drinkers have for enjoying their favorite beverage is higher than ever.
There are a few ways to categorize breweries, including by differentiating them based on the production amount. These are some of the categoriese to know when it comes to breweries.
A microbrewery is a brewery that produces 15,000 barrels or less of beer per year. They must also sell 75% or more of that beer in off-site locations, although some microbreweries have small tasting rooms or a bar for visiting consumers. Microbreweries complete their sales in one of these three ways:
Three-tier system: The brewer sells to a wholesaler who sells to a retailer who sells to the consumer.
Two-tier system: The brewer acts as a wholesaler and sells to the retailer who sells to the consumer.
Direct sales: The brewer sells directly to the consumer via carry-outs or sales from an on-site taproom or restaurant.
A brewpub is a hybrid between a restaurant and a brewery. It sells at least 25% of its beer on-site in combination with significant food services. At a brewpub, the beer is primarily brewed for sale inside the restaurant or bar. Where it's legally allowed, brewpubs may sell beer to go or distribute it to some offsite destinations.
A taproom brewery is similar to a brewpub in that it sells 25% or more of its beer on-site. The main difference is that there are few if any food services. In taprooms, the experience is all about the beer itself. Like brewpubs, a taproom may sell to-go beer and perform distributions off-site.
A regional brewery fits in one of the broader categories. According to the Brewers Association, a regional brewery produces 15,000 to 6,000,000 barrels of beer annually.
The most basic identifier to know when it comes to breweries is whether or not they are independent. In an independent brewery, less than 25% of the company is controlled or owned by an alcohol industry member that does not qualify as a craft brewer. There have been a few changes to the benchmark of what defines small breweries vs. large breweries, which altered the definition of what it means to be independent. In , the Brewers Association changed the definition of "small" from a maximum of 2 million barrels to 6 million.
The Brewers Association decided to shake things up again in , by creating the Independent Craft Brewer Seal to identify the breweries who fit the craft brewer definition. Part of this definition is that the brewery be independent, making this a crucial factor in whether a brewery can call itself "craft" or not. As of , more than 4,000 craft brewers are using the seal to differentiate themselves and highlight their quality. This group represents more than 85% of the volume of craft beer produced in the United States. The seal is one way brewers have hit back at the Anheuser-Busch company, which has bought out 10 independent breweries since .
A craft brewery is, by definition, an independent brewery. Breweries of this scale produce far smaller amounts of beer as compared to their large-scale corporate counterparts. The term "craft" has to do with the fact that these breweries emphasize quality beer and tend to view beer production as more of an art form driven by passion and finely-honed techniques. In both the United States and the United Kingdom, the craft brewing movement started to gain momentum in the s despite artisanal brewing having existed for centuries in Europe. Here are some crucial characteristics of craft breweries:
Craft brewers are small and independent, without substantial guidance from any non-craft brewer.
The hallmark of a craft brewery is innovation.
Craft brewers provide new interpretations of historical styles as well as new, unprecedented styles of beer.
Craft brews are made with traditional ingredients as a base, and often include non-traditional ingredients that provide distinction.
Craft brewers are often closely involved in local communities, providing philanthropy, donations, volunteers and event sponsorships.
Craft brewers often like to connect with their customers in an individualistic and distinct manner.
Craft breweries are everywhere. Almost 79% of American adults live within 10 miles of a brewery, with the majority of them being craft breweries. There are some misconceptions about craft breweries that are important to clear up. The most pervasive one is likely that craft beers are all powerfully distinct and possibly overwhelming in flavor. This is certainly the case for many craft brews, as the popularity of different high-alcohol IPAs proves, but craft brewing also affords brewers the opportunity to experiment with milder tastes and a lower alcohol content.
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Many people believe you can always distinguish a craft beer from one produced by a macrobrewery, with the latter having a weaker and more bland flavor. There's no true way to identify a craft beer besides looking into the brewery that created it, but there are a few differences that make craft beer stand out in a positive light.
Appearance: You may have noticed that mass-produced beers are often the same shade of watery yellow, and the head dissolves away quite quickly when you pour into a glass. Craft beers come in an astonishing array of colors that depend on the brew, and their heads look better, last longer and provide a better flavor.
Taste: Because mass-produced beers must maintain homogeneity, they are often very flat and bland in flavor — which is why they are served as cold as possible. Craft beer has more nuanced flavors that typically come out at warmer temperatures.
Production: Macrobrewers are in it for the money, and it shows in the cheaper ingredients they use to lower the cost of production as well as the finished product. Where many macrobrewers used to use traditional hops, they now substitute rice or corn as a cost-cutting method.
Craft breweries are defined by their commitment to quality ingredients, both novel and traditional, and brewing techniques that are designed to maximize flavor and aroma rather than profit.
Gastropubs are the newest iteration on the tried and true tavern and public house. The difference between a gastropub vs brewpub is the focus on food. The moniker comes from adding "gastronomy," the practice or art of cooking and eating quality food, to the familiar scene of the pub. This trend began in the s and 90s, as "foodie" culture began to take hold in earnest. Pubs began to realize that if people would flock to a brewery for a unique beer experience, they might also enjoy pairing it with a unique food experience.
The first authentic, self-declared gastropub was The Eagle in London, which debuted in . Rather than the mundane menu of fried foods and less-than-exceptional service English pubs are known for, the Eagle presented a novel and exciting experience combining innovative food with quality brews.
While England enjoyed the gastropub and the establishments began popping up in Europe, the craze didn't hit the United States until with the opening of the Spotted Pig in New York City's West Village. Its resounding success caused a slew of others to spring up around the city soon after, and now you can find a great gastropub in any metropolitan area.
Where do microbreweries fit into all of this? The microbrewery definition is simple. A microbrewery makes less than 15,000 barrels of beer each year, and 75% or more of it must be served off-site. The term is unfortunately unclear to many, with people often using "microbrewery" to refer to any business that brews craft beer. The only difference between a craft brewery and a microbrewery is volume. A craft brewery doesn't necessarily indicate a microbrewery, although many microbreweries do brew craft beer. Likewise, a microbrewery does still have to meet craft brewing standards to be a craft brewery.
There is also the term "nanobrewery," which is similar to the definition of a microbrewery in terms of focusing on craft beer. However, there is no specific production volume or limit for a nanobrewery. In general, the term is used to refer to a brewery run by just one or two brewers. Like microbreweries, nanobreweries can sell their beer in a three-tier, two-tier or direct sale structure.
These terms can also be used in combination with other terms. For instance, you would not be in the wrong to refer to the brewing section of a brewpub as a microbrewery as long as you actually know how much volume the brewer produces.
If you’ve been drinking the mass marketed lager beer produced by major breweries for a long time, you should try out craft beer. Craft beers are made by small local and independent brewers who work hard to create rich, unique, flavours that the macro brewers hardly ever achieve in their large breweries. Here are 10 good reasons why you should drink craft beer.
1. Better Taste
Craft beer has a richer and more distinct taste than watery mass produced beer. Most craft brewers are passionate about the taste and flavour of their beer. So they invest the time and energy required to maintain or improve the quality of the beer instead of concentrating on huge marketing campaigns.
2. Greater Variety
Craft beer gives you more choices than the common larger beers sold by major brewers. In Australia, there are thousands of delicious craft beers with every craft brewery striving to create a unique blend of ingredients to give you a beer you can talk about. In fact, a recent competition and customer survey produced a list of the best Australian craft beers that you should try out first.
3. Health Benefits
Craft beer offers some important health benefits because it contains antioxidants, protein, and vitamin B complex. It is a good source of silicon and some recent scientific studies show that hops could act as a barrier against gradual decline of the brain’s cognitive functions. Drinking craft beer regularly (with moderation, of course) can provide these benefits because of the high quality ingredients used to brew it.
4. Better Conversations
Any time you go out to drink craft beer with your friends, you will have a chance to start off a good conversation about the taste and quality of the beer. This can then lead to other intelligent discussions about the style, origin, ingredients, and other interesting features of the type of beer you are drinking. Start drinking craft beer and say bye-bye to boredom!
5. More Alcohol
Most craft beers will offer you more alcohol by volume (at least 5 to 10 percent) but some even provide up to 20 percent. Unfortunately, beers from macro breweries seldom offer you more than 2.5 percent. That’s why they are typically called mass produced ‘beer water’. Hence, you will need fewer pints of craft beer at each drinking session.
6. Lower Cost
Most craft beers are at least twice as strong as the “beer water” sold by big breweries. So typically, you will need to consume about 4 to 6 watery lager beers in a single drinking season. But if you drink craft beers, you will enjoy the strong high quality taste in a porter, stout, IPA or pale ale. So you will not need to consume more than 3 pints before you are satisfied. This will also reduce the pressure on your bladder and you will make fewer trips to the bathroom.
7. Better Ingredients
Although beer is typically made from: water, hops, grains and yeast, most local breweries ensure that they use the best quality ingredients to make their beer. A visit to the nearest craft brewery will reveal that they use fresh, organically grown high quality ingredients. In fact, almost all craft breweries will be ready to let you see and handle the ingredients they use.
8. A Beer for Every Season
During winter, fall, or spring, you can get craft beers that are made primarily for that season. Instead of drinking the same boring watery beer throughout the year, why don’t you drink something refreshingly different during each season, like aged barrel stout during winter and the exceptional pumpkin beer during fall.
9. Supporting the Local Economy
Drinking locally made craft beer helps you to support the economy of the community where you live. You will help the local farmers and create more employment opportunities in your locality. In addition, most craft breweries also fund local charities and help to host local events. So you should drink craft beer to help your community to thrive.
10. Environmentally Friendly Brewing
Most local brewers work hard to maintain environmentally sustainable practices. They practice composting, offer spent grain to local farmers and even use alternative sources of energy. Craft breweries are more concerned about eco-friendly practices than making a huge amount of money. Also, each time you fill your keg or make use of a reusable growler, you are helping to reduce waste.
Those are some of the most important reasons why you should start drinking craft beers. With the exceptional taste, high quality ingredients, lower cost and impact on your local community, you have many reasons to be a proud craft beer drinker.
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