Brewers Association Board Meeting Produces Strategic Changes, "Craft Brewer" Definition Revisited

Discussion in 'Beer News' started by Jason, Mar 3, 2014.

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  1. Spunkmeyer

    Spunkmeyer Initiate (0) Jul 14, 2013 Maryland

    I keep thinking back to the Goose Island situation... Bourbon County Stout has a 100% rating on BeerAdvocate, and yet isn't considered a "Craft Brewery" by the Brewer's Association.

    Smells like politics to me... for example, when "Independent" is defined as 25% or more ownership (which when I last checked, 49% was still a minority owner) and 3 of the companies that fall under that definition are located just north of Dogfish Head, who just happens to be the on the Board of Directors of the Brewer's Association. Hmmm....
     
  2. Sesmu

    Sesmu Zealot (744) Feb 28, 2007 Massachusetts

    please define good beer :grinning:
     
  3. Spunkmeyer

    Spunkmeyer Initiate (0) Jul 14, 2013 Maryland

    Simple... you'll know it when you taste it! :grinning:
     
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  4. southdenverhoo

    southdenverhoo Maven (1,363) Aug 13, 2004 Colorado

    In other Brewers' Association news, this has bugged me since I read it, not sure why...

    OK, here's why. Should our industry's trade association be making this much money, and if it is, should it be spending it on this?
     
  5. willbm3

    willbm3 Initiate (0) Feb 19, 2010 Massachusetts

    The 25% limit does seem somewhat arbitrary. Is there a reason they picked this or is it just a random number? Is it a valid reason or a "let's try to exclude brewery X" reason?
     
  6. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Are you a brewer at a dues paying brewery? Those are the ones that should be concerned with where their money goes. You need to know that the BA has a board of directors that would have approval over things like this, one would think.
    http://www.brewersassociation.org/p...ers-association-seats-2014-board-of-directors
     
  7. Spunkmeyer

    Spunkmeyer Initiate (0) Jul 14, 2013 Maryland

    I have no idea. It just seems math-challenged, which makes me put on a tin-foil hat and make me wonder... I've heard enough "tap handle" anecdotes over the past few years about enough of the big craft players to think it's not a coincidence at some level.
     
  8. Vaultdweller

    Vaultdweller Initiate (0) Aug 31, 2007 Montana

    A few years ago, when they lifted the cap from two million barrels to six million barrels, I wrote an article for BeerAdvocate entitled Craft Beer Is Dead (Issue #49, February 2011). I asserted that "Craft" is short for "Handcrafted". As the first two categories now have fixed percentages (Small=3% of American beer sales; Independent=less than 25% of your brewery is owned by a non-craft brewery) how about a fixed percentage for the third category? So for instance, if your brewery is more than 60% automated, you do not qualify as traditional, and therefore not a craft brewery. I'm of the opinion that the best beer in the world is the one that's in your hand, but if you're going to go through all of this trouble to define what a "Craft Brewery" is, well a "Handcrafted" product is about as "Traditional" as it gets.
     
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  9. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    The "25%" figure is not new, and has been in the B.A.'s "craft brewer" definition since its beginning. Here is a an article from a Feb. 2007 Press Release that quotes it.

    I take it that by "...3 of the companies that fall under that definition are located just north of Dogfish Head..." you're referring to Coastal's Fordham & Dominion Brewing? Note that the exclusion of breweries with more that a quarter ownership by a non-craft brewer predates AB's announcement of their investment in those companies, and was around before Coastal moved it's brewing facilities to Delaware. (Not sure if Calagione was on the Board of the B.A. or not at the time the definition was established.)
     
  10. pitweasel

    pitweasel Initiate (0) Jun 11, 2007 New York

    But...but....if I don't know if it's "craft" beer, how will I know if it'll be any good??

    (/sarcasm)
     
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  11. southdenverhoo

    southdenverhoo Maven (1,363) Aug 13, 2004 Colorado

    I was a member for three years, as a brewery in planning. I'm not now, but I expect I will be again, in the next couple years. I am aware of the fact that the BA has a Board of Directors, and that that Board does (or at least, has in the past; I assume it currently does) have representation from even the smallest volume breweries and brewpubs, as well as larger micros, regionals, and nationals.

    The existence of such a Board does not immunize the BA from mistakes, nor isolate it from criticism.

    I just think thats a lot of money, from dues (which I have indeed paid) and events such as GABF, spent on things like empire-building or screwing around with the formulation of definitions of "craft" which don't piss off BBC while still differentiating from, say, Shock Top, with the result that Goose Island's BCBS isn't, allegedly, "craft."

    I also have been for a much longer period, but am not now, a dues payer to the BA via the AHA.
     
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  12. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I am an AHA member, and know some on the board. I had heard they have grown staff as the number of breweries has grown. The AHA has added staff also from about 3.5 to 6 head count or so, as the AHA has gone from 9k to 40k+ members. The staffing is on the web site, I count about 49 of the BA and AHA combined.

    The Board has to have say on what is done. They also meet in Boulder around once a year, so they are familiar with the office situation.

    Maybe you could contact Kim Jordan, she is somewhat local to you, and is on the PR committee. Voice your concerns, see what she replies with.
     
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  13. Mebuzzard

    Mebuzzard Grand Pooh-Bah (4,216) May 19, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I think we (and they) are coming at this from the wrong direction. Instead of determining a definition based on what BA does not do, maybe focus on what they do do (ha!)

    Basically, they help brewers/breweries in various ways. This help is needed because most breweries are small businesses...some are large businesses....that don't have the resources that the mega-huge-ginormous breweries have (BMC). So, they promote and protect American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts who have limited resources to such on their own (effectively). The question then becomes, which breweries do not have such resources? Or, which do? Determining this by a secondary definition of "craft" is putting the hops before the beer (ha!) and is vague.

    But it's obvious: BA does not wish to represent, as it is not their goal, those who represent themselves quite well on TV, in DC, at the stores, etc (BMC). This has little to nothing to do with the beer itself, although the focus has shifted to this and created a mess of confusion and criticism.

    Membership to the BA is voluntary, and BMC still have boothes at GABF, so it's not totally inclusive or exclusive
     
  14. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    The Brewers Association Paul Gatza has a long "blog post" up further explaining the new definition -
    Revised Foundational Documents Clarify Craft Brewer/Small Brewer Relationship

    and, finally (mostly due to adding Yuengling's near 3 million barrelage to the "Craft" column):
     
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  15. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Even more comments on the change by the B.A.'s Gatza, with references to the old-line adjunct brewers like Schell, Straub and Yuengling and contract-brewer Narragansett, and their barrelage being added to the "craft" totals in the future at Brewbound's Gatza: New Craft Brewer Definition Prioritizes Ownership, Size
     
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  16. BrettHead

    BrettHead Initiate (0) Sep 18, 2010 Nebraska

    None of that has anything to do with BBC from what I can tell. All they are doing is backtracking from that nonsense that called Schell's not craft I believe. Cheers
     
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  17. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    So, it could be argued that BA ‘expanded’ the definition of craft brewery to ‘bump up’ the statistics?:astonished:

    Cheers!
     
  18. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Well, moving and re-emphasizing that FMB's are not included in the "craft beer" statistics, does affect BBC (as well as other "new" craft breweries like Cold Spring and Minhas). BBC's current Fourth Quarter Results has them at 3.4 million barrels for 2013, but a good portion of that (15-20%?) is their non-beer products, Angry Orchard and Twisted Tea.

    AO is probably nearing 500k bbl. already - taking the 2012 stats from this Fall, '13 Boston Globe article:
    So, that'd put BBC AO cider alone at 276k bbl. in 2012.

    Then, the question becomes- if the B.A. isn't counting FMB's, they surely must also not count cider.

    From the Brewbound article:
    So, just an convenient but unintended consequence? :wink:
     
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  19. Mebuzzard

    Mebuzzard Grand Pooh-Bah (4,216) May 19, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I hope not. Nothing against cider and ciderers (?), but I don't like seeing them at beer fests and the like.

    Too many customers come into the store asking for cider beer. :grimacing:
     
  20. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Yeah, I feel the same way every time I find another cider taking up space in the beer coolers or beer shelves.
    "An alcoholic beverage made from fruit juice? That's a wine. Move it over to that side of the store."
     
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