WHAT IS A CRAFT BREWERY?

[Bigbjorn]

Today's "USA TODAY" has a small par about the growth of craft breweries in the USA. Apparently a craft brewery is one producing fewer than 6 million barrels annually and is no more than 25% owned by a major brewer.

A bar in Hermosa Beach has 54 beers on tap, most of which are US craft breweries.

[shorty943]

No more than 6 million barrels a year? That's actually quite a lot of beer.

Most here would still be what we used to call "Boutique Breweries", run in small batches by local pubs, or, like one of our favourite local breweries (Wilkadene Woolshed Brewery), in the old station shearing shed converted into a brewery. Damned fine afternoon can be spent on the balcony with a finely crafted pure beer or two watching the wildlife on the lagoons.

[simonmelb]

Yep, this definition is a moving target as the big boys continue to loose market share to good small breweries and have no choice but to somehow get into the craft beer market. Some wholly owned small breweries like white rabbit and Matilda Bay definitely produce good quality small batches of craft beer and I don't have a problem with these guys calling themselves craft breweries.

What I object to, are the supermarket chains getting contract brewed pale boring swill contract brewed in massive quantities at some unknown factory and calling this "craft brewed". Absolute marketing crap!

[Redback]

Tooheys is hitting back with James Squire, re-opening the Malt Shovel Brewery some time back, this is a small "Boutique style Brewery" brewed in the same manner as the "Boutique Breweries" beer.

Not only does the beer taste good, it is priced well too, being around $20 to $30 cheaper a carton, mainly because it is part of Tooheys (Lions Nathan group)

I still reckon the beer from the Lord Nelson Hotel is the best brewed beer around and the bonus is, it's available from our local pub, 5mins up the road and I don't care how much it is, the taste is worth it

Baz.