“Craft isn’t a style of
beer. It’s essentially
beer made by people
who love it”
drinkers, especially women. According
to the Dea Latis Gender Pint Gap report,
since 2009 there’s been almost a ten-fold
increase in women drinking beer at home
(in 2009 on ly 3% of women sa id t hey did
this; by 2018 this figure had risen to 32%).
It can’t be coincidence that this comes
alongside the rise of craft beer.WHAT IS CRAFT BEER?
Craft isn’t a style of beer. It’s essentially
beer made by people who love it,
brewing the sort of thing they want to
drink themselves. The brewing process
(see above right) can be scaled up or
down, but for beer to be considered craft
it should be made w it h t he best possible
ingredients, to the highest standards,
by brewers who care about what they’re
making. It’s not all about small batches
either. Quality and intent defines craft
beer more than scale. For example,
Brewdog output is enormous, yet they’re
considered the UK’s craft beer pioneers.
The idea of ca sk beer or ig ina lly ca me
f rom t he US. A s we were f ight ing to save
cask ale, the Americans were shaking
off the final shadows of prohibition
by legalising home brewing. Seeking
something new and inspired by British
beer, but with the punchy f lavours of
American hops, craft beer was born.
In the US, there’s a strict definition of
a craft brewer. You can only call yourselfHOW IT’S
MADEI
f you consider craft beer the preserve
of check-shirted, bearded hipsters
sporting sleeve tattoos, think again.
As tastes change, the appeal of craft
beer has begun to draw drinkers
from all walks of life.
Wherever you look in the world of
food and drink today, you’ll likely come
across a beer of some for m. More people
are now grabbing a glass of ale as craft
breweries across the UK offer a dizzying
array of beers that won’t leave you
feeling bitter. It’s a concept Britain only
began to embrace in the last decade, but
with much older roots. In the 1970s, the
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) was
founded to fight for Britain’s vernacular
beer style – cask ale. Attempts were
being made to replace it with mass-
produced keg beer and there were
moves to convert us into a nation of lager
drinkers. Although the cold, yellow,
fizzy stuff gained the upper hand, cask
ale was saved. However, the popularity
contest between ale and lager continued,
with lager still edging it – according to
industry statistics, 69% of the beer sold
in pubs a nd ba rs in 2018 wa s lager.
In the 1990s, a few British brewers
started making golden ale in an effort to
attract lager drinkers. They also began
experimenting with American hops,
which offered new f lavours. Prior to
this, most cask ale was brown and just
two varieties of British hop – Fuggle
and Goldings – dominated all recipes.
As with wine grapes, where hops are
grown affects their f lavour. Hops from
the USA and the southern hemisphere
tend to pack bigger, fruitier flavours and
have higher levels of bitterness. British
hops tend to offer more earthy, peppery
and floral flavours – although newer
varieties are starting to challenge US
hops for their big-f lavour crown.
Hops can be thought of as the herbs
and spices of brewing and bring many
different f lavours and aromas to beer.
The new varieties allow brewers to
make beers that taste of everything from
lemon and lime through to grapefruit,
passionfruit and beyond – all these notes
com ing on ly f rom hops rat her t ha n t he
fruits themselves or artificial flavours.
This f lavour revolution is what defines
craft beer and has attracted newLike other beer, craft brews
have four basic ingredients:
water, malted cereal grains,
hops and yeast. There are
many types of malt, which
add flavour, colour and
texture, and dozens of hop
varieties. Brewing consists
of steeping the grains in
water to access sugars that
are eaten by yeast and turned
into alcohol (fermentation).
In between, the sugary water
(wort) is boiled and hops
added at various stages –
early in the boil for bitterness,
later for flavour and aroma.
After, hops are sieved out and
the brew cooled before yeast
is added to work its magic.beer made by people
who love it”
“Craftisn’ta styleof
beer.It’sessentially
beermadebypeople
drinkers,especiallywomen.According
totheDeaLatisGenderPintGapreport,
since 2009 there’sbeenalmosta ten-fold
increaseinwomendrinkingbeerathome
(in 2009 on ly3%ofwomensa idt heydid
this;by 2018 thisfigurehadrisento32%).
It can’tbecoincidencethatthiscomes
alongsidetheriseofcraftbeer.WHATISCRAFTBEER?
Craftisn’ta styleofbeer.It’sessentially
beermadebypeoplewholoveit,
brewingthesortofthingtheywantto
drinkthemselves.Thebrewingprocess
(seeaboveright)canbescaledupor
down,butforbeertobeconsideredcraft
it shouldbemadew it ht hebestpossible
ingredients,tothehigheststandards,
bybrewerswhocareaboutwhatthey’re
making.It’snotallaboutsmallbatches
either.Qualityandintentdefinescraft
beermorethanscale.Forexample,
Brewdogoutputis enormous,yetthey’re
consideredtheUK’scraftbeerpioneers.
Theideaofca skbeeror ig ina llyca me
f romt heUS.A sweweref ight ingtosave
caskale,theAmericanswereshaking
offthefinalshadowsofprohibition
bylegalisinghomebrewing.Seeking
somethingnewandinspiredbyBritish
beer,butwiththepunchyf lavoursof
Americanhops,craftbeerwasborn.
IntheUS,there’sa strictdefinitionof
a craftbrewer.YoucanonlycallyourselfHOW IT’S
MADEI
f you consider craft beer the preserve
of check-shirted, bearded hipsters
sporting sleeve tattoos, think again.
As tastes change, the appeal of craft
beer has begun to draw drinkers
from all walks of life.
Wherever you look in the world of
food and drink today, you’ll likely come
across a beer of some for m. More people
are now grabbing a glass of ale as craft
breweries across the UK offer a dizzying
array of beers that won’t leave you
feeling bitter. It’s a concept Britain only
began to embrace in the last decade, but
with much older roots. In the 1970s, the
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) was
founded to fight for Britain’s vernacular
beer style – cask ale. Attempts were
being made to replace it with mass-
produced keg beer and there were
moves to convert us into a nation of lager
drinkers. Although the cold, yellow,
fizzy stuff gained the upper hand, cask
ale was saved. However, the popularity
contest between ale and lager continued,
with lager still edging it – according to
industry statistics, 69% of the beer sold
in pubs a nd ba rs in 2018 wa s lager.
In the 1990s, a few British brewers
started making golden ale in an effort to
attract lager drinkers. They also began
experimenting with American hops,
which offered new f lavours. Prior to
this, most cask ale was brown and just
two varieties of British hop – Fuggle
and Goldings – dominated all recipes.
As with wine grapes, where hops are
grown affects their f lavour. Hops from
the USA and the southern hemisphere
tend to pack bigger, fruitier flavours and
have higher levels of bitterness. British
hops tend to offer more earthy, peppery
and floral flavours – although newer
varieties are starting to challenge US
hops for their big-f lavour crown.
Hops can be thought of as the herbs
and spices of brewing and bring many
different f lavours and aromas to beer.
The new varieties allow brewers to
make beers that taste of everything from
lemon and lime through to grapefruit,
passionfruit and beyond – all these notes
com ing on ly f rom hops rat her t ha n t he
fruits themselves or artificial flavours.
This f lavour revolution is what defines
craft beer and has attracted newLike other beer, craft brews
have four basic ingredients:
water, malted cereal grains,
hops and yeast. There are
many types of malt, which
add flavour, colour and
texture, and dozens of hop
varieties. Brewing consists
of steeping the grains in
water to access sugars that
are eaten by yeast and turned
into alcohol (fermentation).
In between, the sugary water
(wort) is boiled and hops
added at various stages –
early in the boil for bitterness,
later for flavour and aroma.
After, hops are sieved out and
the brew cooled before yeast
is added to work its magic.beermadebypeople
wholoveit”