Here you can get all the answers to your questions about craft beer. Simple and well explained.
Craft beer or craft beer?
The term craft beer is simply the German translation for the English term craft beer. So no matter whether craft beer or craft beer - both terms are correct and you decide which one you want to use.
What is craft beer?
The term craft beer is a generic term for a variety of beers. From IPA to Porter Stout to Belgian Wit - there's nothing that doesn't exist. In general, craft beer stands for a beer produced by hand, which stands in contrast to mass-produced beers in large breweries. However, it is very difficult to categorize craft beer as the guidelines for the individual categories differ from country to country, if they exist at all. In the United States of America, the Brewers Association has set strict guidelines for when a beer can be called craft beer. They set their craft beer standards with their motto “Small, independent, traditional”:
However, these standards do not make sense for Germany. The mere aspect of annual beer output is completely useless in Germany's craft beer scene, because even the large German breweries Augustiner (1.5 million hectoliters / year) and Oettinger (5.4 million hectoliters / year) would then be considered craft Breweries count.
Likewise, all beers in Germany must be brewed according to the Purity Law, which means that the traditional perspective for craft beer in Germany, as well as that of annual output, would not be meaningful. If you didn't make a difference between the American and German perspectives on craft beer, almost every brewery in Germany would be a craft brewery. According to the American classification, only the aspect of independence would deprive some large breweries of the title of craft brewery. Beck's, Astra, Kulmbacher and Paulaner, for example, belong to larger corporations such as Heinecken, Carlsberg or AB InBev.
That's why it's extremely difficult in Germany to find a classification as to when a beer is a craft beer.
Where is the origin?
The origins of craft beer clearly lie in the USA. With only three major breweries left in the 1970s due to Great Prohibition, every beer in the United States was similar to each other. There was no variety of beer, so private individuals decided to brew their own beer at home as a hobby. Craft beer was born in 1978 when then-President Jimmy Carter allowed home and hobby brewers to sell their beer.
At the turn of the millennium, many people's consciousness changed. They wanted to know what they were eating. Does the baker still bake his bread by hand and in a stone oven or does he get it delivered ready-made from the headquarters and just have to finish it baking in a bread maker? This rethink gave the craft beer scene an incredible boost and gained more and more reputation. However, interest in craft beer only began to emerge in Germany ten years later. Since then, the craft beer scene has continued to grow strongly and more and more Germans know what to do with the term craft beer.
What does craft beer taste like?
Craft beer can be incredibly versatile and since the term is closer to the method of production than to a specific type of beer, little can be said about the taste of the individual craft beers.
Just a quick example: an IPA (India Pale Ale) is a craft beer that is bitter. This is caused by the intensive use of hops. Since this is clearly the focus of IPAs, the IPA is hopped at least twice and large quantities and often many different types of hops are used in the brewing process. Five to seven different hop varieties are not atypical.
Where can I buy craft beer?
It is currently still difficult to get certain types of craft beer in Germany. However, over the last few years, availability in the craft beer scene in Germany has improved dramatically and you can now find some craft beers in retailers and well-stocked beverage markets. Of course, it's easiest for you if you stop by our Bierothek® online shop and order your favorite craft beer or visit us in one of our nine Bierothek® branches and find out more about the topic of craft beer from one of our motivated people Employees find out. We even offer you the opportunity to taste different craft beers and learn more about them with our Bierothek® beer seminars in all of our Bierothek® branches. You can find more information about this here .
Craft beer in the Bierothek®!
We offer you a variety of craft beer specialties from our range, which you can buy in our Bierothek® online shop or in one of our nine Bierothek® branches.
The Bierothek® craft beer package, Bierothek® beer package Franken's craft beer, Bierothek® beer package Germany's craft beer and Bierothek® beer package Bavaria's craft beer also offer you an uncomplicated opportunity to try out 12 different craft beers and test the variety of beers in the individual regions. The Bierothek® beer packages are of course perfect as birthday or Christmas gifts. If you are already more familiar with craft beer and are not looking for a Bierothek® beer package that we have put together, then of course we have an idea for you too. Simply get an empty Bierothek® beer package box and order 12 beer delicacies that exactly suit your taste - there are no limits to your creativity.
Could it be a little more classy? Then the Bierothek® selection wooden box is just right for you. The empty wooden box holds 4 bottles of beer and 1 tasting glass. Put your beers, your glass and the wooden box in your shopping cart and we will send you the fully packed Bierothek® selection wooden box straight to your home.
Of course, you can also put together your beer packages or selection wooden crates personally in your Bierothek® branch and take them straight home with you. Our employees will be happy to help you.
