Exploring Craft Beer
It is safe to say that, as an industry, craft beer affects thousands of people directly and millions of people indirectly. As a culture, craft beer serves as a stage for the negotiation of different dimensions of cultural identity.
Today, I will describe North American craft beer culture and discuss some aspects of cultural identity as they are negotiated by members of that culture.
This presentation is the result of my preliminary exploration of craft beer culture as a craft beer enthusiast and homebrewer for the past several years. As such, this presentation is based less on hard data than on direct personal observation of craft beer culture and on informal interaction with members of the culture. Yet even this preliminary exploration has given a great deal of insight into craft beer culture.
Because of its preliminary nature, my presentation will greatly benefit from your suggestions for further research.
Entering Craft Beer
Culture My involvement in craft beer culture has been as a craft beer lover since the 1990s and as a homebrewer since 2001. During that period, I have been in direct contact with craft beer culture in different parts of Switzerland, Canada, Mali, and the United States. Furthermore, as an active member of beer-related online communities, I have been able to discuss several aspects of craft beer culture with insiders from different parts of the world.
As an ethnographer, I tend to adopt an observational approach to many social interactions. More specifically, my approach is often one of participantobservation, negotiating my status as both an insider and outsider in specific social contexts. My involvement in craft beer culture has provided me with an opportunity to apply this observational approach to the world of craft beer.
It should be noted however that this approach, though informed and influenced 2/8 by ethnographic practice, does not represent ethnographic fieldwork. My observations and this presentation are the result of informal activities which only serve as a preliminary step on the way to academic research.
Definitions
Some key terms need to be defined in the context of this presentation. “Beer” may refer to any fermented drink made with grain. In most cases, though, beer refers to fermented beverages made with malted barley, hops, water, and cultured strains of saccharomyces cerevisiae (so-called “ale yeast” or “topfermenting yeast”) and/or saccharomyces uvarum (so-called “lager yeast” or “bottom-fermenting yeast”).
In Canada and the United States, “craft beer” usually refers to barley malt beer brewed locally by a small commercial brewery, typically a microbrewery or brewpub. In the context of this presentation, “craft beer” also includes homebrewed beer as well as some of the beer imported from foreign, typically European, breweries.
The definition of craft beer in fact varies in context and depends in large part on what may be called “macrobreweries” or “macros.” Macros are the large industrial breweries which produce massive quantities of beer. Craft beer culture defines itself by opposition to “macro” beer. In craft beer culture, macrobreweries are the common enemy and macro beers are generally perceived negatively as insipid “macroswill.” In the United States, the name Budmilloors is used a collective name to describe macro beers (from the brand names of the three most popular beers in the United States). Similarly, in Canada, macros are sometimes called with the collective name “MolBatt” from Molson and Labatt (brand names for the two most popular beers in Canada).
Perhaps surprisingly, beer brewed by the major breweries on the global scene which have a more limited presence in the United States and Canada (for instance, Diageo’s Guinness brands and InBev’s Leffe brands) are sometimes perceived similarly to craft beer despite the size of their breweries.
“Craft beer culture,” the theme of this presentation, implies the negotiation of different aspects of cultural identity, from gender to political affiliation, in relation to craft beer.
“Craft beer people” are the subject of this presentation. They form a loose social group whose members are involved, directly or indirectly, in the consumption and/or production of craft beer. These include professional and amateur brewers of craft beer as well as people who enjoy craft beer.
Overall, craft beer people may be seen as sharing the value that beer should be a culinary item, enjoyed more for its aromas and flavors than for its inebriating potential.
In Canada and the United States, craft beer people are represented by trade organizations, regional and national publications, and many online and local groups.