Most "Googled" beer names in 2014

Oh no! Too many people like their beer, so it can't be craft! That's hardly an approach for a Beer Advocate to take. The more people drinking craft, the better.

 

Well Boston Beer makes something like 2.5M barrels a year. They broke the threshold we used to think was craft years ago. Now it's arbitrarily 6M barrels. What if they triple in the next 5 years?

 

If you're going to make the Brewer's Association the only group that gets to define "craft", than yeah, you're right. But the Brewers Association definition of "Craft Brewer" is for their own statistical purposes only within their "guild" and they can change it whenever they feel like it... so personally I don't think that should be the only way we define "craft"

 

Modelo???

 

The reason for the Volume maximum requirement is because the brewery can't be too big. They lose the mentality of all the good things we love about a brewery considered "craft". Unless Boston Beer continues to be philanthropic, active in their community, giving tours of their facility, and all the other things we love about craft breweries, then I honestly would have no problem with them being huge. It's just difficult to do that.

 

Never really realized this, great post.

 

Well, let's see - Boston Beer Co., after 40 years, has 1.4% of the US beer market. Not sure what constitutes "taking over the market" but I'm thinking it's above, at least, 2%?

They changed it once, 2011. The old limit of "under 2m bbl." was based on the Federal Excise Tax definition of "small brewer", which was set in 1976 - before there really were "craft brewers".

 

I know here in Canada the craft beer designation is based upon volume produced.

 

I'm convinced modelo is in there only because of soccer sponsorships south of the border. They're huge in a few pro leagues in Mexico, and some Central American leagues.

 

I personally think the guidelines they use to determine a brewery as craft or not are a joke.

"Well everyone, we produced 5.9M barrels last year, so we are still going to be a 'craft' brewery. Next year doesn't look good though, as we are projecting to push out 6.1M barrels, which means we just crossed the line. Damn the luck, how dare us be successful." It just seems ridiculous. I mean, what is going to happen? A brewery is craft for the first 10 years, and then goes to what.. macro all of a sudden??? What do we classify them as then?

I agree somewhat with you, a 'craft' designation should be about the love of the beer, attention to detail, and dedication to the craft. Even big breweries can care about their product, it may be more difficult, but it can be done.

 

(I've posted this before, but...)

The Brewers Association is a Trade Association. As such, their purpose is to "attempt to influence public policy in a direction favorable to the group's members. This can take the form of contributions to the campaigns of political candidates and parties through Political Action Committees (PACs); contributions to "issue" campaigns not tied to a candidate or party; and lobbying legislators to support or oppose particular legislation. In addition, trade groups attempt to influence the activities of regulatory bodies." (quote from the same link).

Their definition must be seen in this light. They are crafting (pardon the pun) the definition to include those they are advocating for and exclude those they are not. Their "adjustments" to the definition are to keep those in they want in, and to keep those out they want out. Some of the definition is pure fluff so it does not sound so political. But, it is political.

It is clear that they do not advocate for all of their members equally (AB-Inbev is a member, IIRC, as are probably most large brewers).

Their selection of the name "craft brewer" for who they advocate for is unfortunate. Their strong-armed grab of the term did a disservice to the consumers.

Their definition should have no weight outside of their narrow use of the term.

 

Their beer is so popular, nobody drinks it anymore - Yogi Berra's spin on the topic

 

The threshold will most likely be raised if any craft brewer comes close to approaching the 6MM barrel limit, the same way the 2MM barrel limit was raised when SA went over. And as @zid said, that is a good thing as if we took SA and SN #'s out of the equation the craft market's image would suffer.

 

Why do people Google Budweiser? To see commercials? It is not like their beer is hard to find...anywhere beer is sold.

 

It's the same reason the most googled celebrities are Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Donald Stirling, etc. instead of people with talent. Most people have poor taste.

 

Well two of those three are female so I'm sure some people are googling them, Donald Sterling was in the news..but Budweiser is the same damn thing all the time..so what is there to read about?

 

^ This is why every time I hear someone say 'but the brewers association says...', I stop listening. If you think that they are the rule to a craft brewery, then I feel like you do not understand craft beer. Or at least don't appreciate it.

It all comes back to my belief of drink what you like, who cares what designation they are given and who is giving it. Enjoy the beer.

 

Yeah, that was my first question, too. Why, momma, why?!? What info could people possibly be wanting to find on those brands?

 

I disagree, even if Anheuser-Busch started to offer a beer that was up to par with Bourbon County or Founders you would not buy it and consider it a craft beer?