Not so "Craft" Craft Beers

With the growth and success that craft beer has had in recent years, "Big Beer" companies have been trying to find a way to compete in the craft beer market. While Craft Beer makes up just 6% of total annual beer sales, the other 94% is made up of  "Big Beer" companies, 90% of that 94%  by Anheuser-Busch InBev and Miller Coors. By masking the labels and buying out smaller craft breweries, they have been able to infiltrate into the market and into the hands of the less informed craft beer drinker.

First its important to properly define Craft Beer. According to the Brewers Association, a Craft brewer is Small, Independent, and Traditional.
Small - annual production is 6 million barrels or less.
Independent - Less than 25% of the craft brewery owned or controlled by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer.
Traditional - A brewer who has either an all malt flagship or has at least 50% of its volume in either all malt beers or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor.

Craft beer has become somewhat of a "luxury item" or "splurge" during what has been a time of economic hardship. The craft beer industry despite the economy has continued to see growth. Therefore, if the consumer is going to indulge in craft beer, it's important they know what they are investing their hard earned cash in. Listed are a few "not so craft, craft beers".

Blue Moon
Probably the most common. Introduced in 1995, this beer is owned and operated by Miller Coors.
Shock Top
Owned and operated by Anheuser Busch.
Goose Island
"The Craft Beer of Chicago" this brand was bought in 2010 by Anheuser Busch.
Kona 
The "Craft Beer of Hawaii"? Owned partly by the Craft Brew Alliance and you guessed it, Anheuser Busch.
Leinenkugel's
Bought by Miller Coors in 1988.
Widmer Brothers
Part Craft Brew Alliance, Part Anheuser Busch.

This is in no way an effort to sway your decision one way or the other. We drink what we like; be it an Arrogant Bastard or a Natty Ice. It is however important that you know what you are getting when making the decision to support craft breweries. Just because it's next to the Stone, Lagunitas, or Smuttynose doesn't make it a craft beer.

Cheers.
 

On Tap: Big Alice Brewing

On a little street in Long Island City, NY lies a little brewery with big beers. Overlooking the east river power plant that inspired their name (Big Allis), Big Alice has been brewing "an ever evolving line of unique and interesting" beers since conception in 2013. At that time they were New York City's second smallest brewery. Operating as a nano brewery producing 1/3 barrel per batch, this brewery has created beers including a Purple Potato Tripel, a banana habanero multigrain ale, and a dandelion and fennel bulb IPA to name a few. Each beer comes in a wine bottle size corked bottle and can be cellared for up to 10 years (the life of the cork). Average ABV usually ranges anywhere between 9%-up as high as 15.3% (Single Malt with Cardamom). The brewery is open to the public Friday evenings from 5-7:30 pm. During this time Brewers/Founders Robby Crafton, Kyle Hurst, and founder Scott Berger are usually on hand to show you around and tell you about their beers. Stop in, meet the team, and enjoy some of the most "unique and interesting beers" New York City has to offer.

CNN Money.com recently featured Big Alice and covered their Community Shared Beer Program. To learn about Big Alice's Community Shared Beer program follow this link:

http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/23/smallbusiness/community-supported-beer/

Drink Local

Well, Let me be the first to congratulate you. You Sir, Madame, or fellow human being if you're not into the whole brevity thing, live in a place in time where the average american lives within 10 miles of a Brewery. There are more than 2,500 breweries in the United States and that number continues to grow. Since pre-prohibition when the number of breweries reached as high as 3,200, you have not had this much access to locally brewed beer. 98% of these are small independently owned breweries and " are known for being passionate and innovative makers of fuller flavored beer". The other 2%.....well, they're the guys that make that yellow fizzy carbonated water you used to drink before you became the classy, intellectual, and down right awesome person you are today. So get out and take a tour damn't. Meet your local brewers. Drink local beer. You'll see firsthand how its made, meet the brewers who craft it, and it tastes better. Trust me on this one, it does.

Check out this page for a breakdown of these facts and some other awesome facts that you may not have known:

http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/media/Craft-Beer-Backgrounder

So you want to be a Home Brewer?

Recently I've had a few people reach out to me through social media and ask me how I got started and any tips or advice I could give them. 4 years ago I received my first "Brew Your Own Beer Kit" for Christmas from a family member. It was a Mr. Beer Kit and my first batch thickened up to the consistency of molasses and caramel forcing me to throw away the batch along with the pot I was boiling it in. I realized I had burned off too much water and did not add more to balance it out. Where a lot of people might have chalked it up as a failure and quit there, I couldn't wait to try again and within a couple days had purchased another ingredient kit and moved forward, this time successful. I even went to my local home brew store to pick up some additional cascade hops to add to the boil to give it a little more character. An old friend of mine who shared the same interests made himself available to me to help answer any questions I had and steer me in the right direction as I began my journey as a Home Brewer.

Which leads me to the advice that I normally give out to anyone looking to explore home brewing themselves.

#1. Bigger isn't always Better. If this is your first time, Start with a 1 gallon kit. You can pick one up through a few different online retailers or sometimes your local Whole Foods or other retailer. Brooklyn Brew Shop has a great 1 gallon all grain kit and Northern Brewer offers 1 gallon liquid malt kits. It will normally include everything you need to brew you first batch with the exception of your kettles or pots to boil in. If you try it and realize you hate it (which you probably won't) you just lost $40 instead of the $100-200 you're going to pay for a 5 gallon kit (not including the larger pots you will need to purchase since you probably don't have at home). You're welcome, you can thank me later.

#2 Everything you need is Online. No really, there isn't a question you will need an answer to that you won't be able to find online. There are literally thousands of websites and forums by Home Brewers that have been doing this for years posting answers and advice to anything you might be unsure about. If you're not tech savvy, you're in luck, because there's thousands of books too. Highly recommended is How to Brew by John Palmer. This book is practically referred to as the Bible of Home Brewing and is highly referred to as a reference on many sites.

#3 Don't give up. You're going to mess up a batch at some point. Everyone does. Stick with it and remember why you started.

Additionally I normally advise to start with an all grain kit if possible instead of a liquid malt kit. My first brew kit was a liquid malt kit and they're generally a little easier. Granted an all grain kit takes a little more time, But It's the real deal. It's how beer is brewed at your favorite breweries.

Cheers.