The big boys move into the craft ale market

[ProjectBeer]

Brooklyn Lager in the States was bought by Miller-Coors a few years ago, and Goose Island by Anheuser-Busch, but the great thing is that the parent companies have just let them get on with things. Meantime is the largest in the UK so I guess it was only a matter of time.

Prices here in London are pretty ridiculous though...one of the main reasons I wanted to get into home brewing as well. I'm lucky enough to live near the Bermondsey Beer Mile, so getting the chance to grab a crate from The Kernel (12 fo £29) and a sixer from Four Pure or whatever else grabs my fancy is pretty nice as you'd pay double that in pubs.

 

[MikeK117]

I don't like the idea of the 'craft' movement. Everything is craft these days, craft sandwiches, craft bog roll. It's a fad that will eventually go out of fashion - but the by-product could mean better beer for all.

Some one in the thread hit the nail on the head by saying that the big boys are threatened by the craft beer movement. Now that we're (slowly) moving out of recession people are willing to pay a bit more for the luxury of flavour, and the perception of only granddads drinking real ale has been PR'd out. Breweries have Twitter now, and their beers look cool in hand.

However, the fact that the successful brewers are selling out to AB and Miller suggests that it's not all about the craft. At the end of the day it's just about the money, which is fair enough in our capitalist world. But it could mean that, eventually, we could see a huge shift in our beer culture, just like in the 70's when lager arrived from mainland Europe (so my dad tells me). That's got to be a good thing!

 

[Joeyriles]

Craft bog roll? I had no idea one could buy such things! Here in rural Hampshire I've been using our neighbour's cat!

 

[Brewed_Force]

I agree with Covrich, 'craft' is now a buzz word, just like the awful 'artisinal', that's just used to infer something about a product that probably isn't true. It's just a fashion thing, I wish the bearded hipsters would butt out of the real ale world!

Yep as nicer as the beer is as we all know there is an element of "craft" being the trendy in word.. Loaded with preconceptions that it is almost artistic in its production .. now there may be an element of truth to it depending on your point of view but I think in general it is just better ingredients and better beer.

Its the same in the culinary world.. small example steaky bacon was technically a worser and cheaper cut until the chefs started using it on the tv now its more trendy and you pay a lot more for that.