OnTap Magazine

WHEN IS “CRAFT BEER” NO LONGER “CRAFT”? In this opinion piece, Craig Claassen uses a comparison with the indie music scene to explore the pros and cons of operating in markets dominated by larger brands, and to consider just when “big” cancels out “independent.” n 1979, when the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company opened, they were pioneers in the movement we now call the craft beer revolution. They started as homebrewers, benefitting from the changes in the law that allowed for “small and limited production of wine and beer for personal and family use” (and not for sale) to develop early recipes that would eventually lead to them opening the brewery. This movement eventually made its way around the world, and as we sit here in South Africa, many credit the Mitchell's Brewery in Knysna, founded as far back as 1983, as the first craft brewery in South Africa. Of course, there were other independents before, but Mitchell’s took pride in being smaller, linking their beer names to local industries and bringing a variety of styles to market. Even South African Breweries played around with the concept of running “small” breweries, such as the Heritage Brewery in the 1980s at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg. (This brewing system is now in operation at Brewhogs Microbrewery, a proud craft brewery with award-winning beers.) Craft beer is largely a marketing term, but I think most consumers are aware of the difference between large and small breweries when they walk into a liquor store. The basic principle is that as a consumer, craft beer brings a variety of styles and innovation with flavours, where non-craft beer tends to rely heavily on large-scale brewing of one or two core styles. Jeff Alworth, author of the Beer Bible, tends to think of craft beer as a brewery where the brewer is also involved in the business decisions of “what to brew.” Now, the question is, what is that magic moment of success, when suddenly you are no longer considered “craft”? BEER THROUGH A MUSICAL LENS I remember a moment in time when Coldplay was given a recording contract by Parlophone records. Up to this point they were considered a rising “indie” band. When you look at what an indie band is, it involves something like a circle of circumstances that results in a very specific “sound.” Indie bands tend to operate on a lower budget, so their instruments and recording studios are considered “low- fi” with a tendency towards a DIY ethic. All of this delivers a less polished sound. The focus is on songwriting and ultimately being able to perform those songs live without adding members to the band. This all may seem like it means lower quality, but in fact the “sound” that you associate with “indie” bands is about how these things come together. You could say it’s a different “consumer.” When Coldplay were signed, the accusation “not indie anymore” started to swirl around, as if somehow success was equal to being “sellouts” and subsequently certain music fans turned their attention back to other bands like The National (who – with their growing popularity – is also in danger of being considered “sellouts.”) Thus, Coldplay, a household name (well, for people my age) has somehow progressed to more polished music over time. They have certainly lost some of their sound, but the fundamentals that played a bigger role in their success (Chris Martin’s distinctive voice, the simple drum lines and guitar riffs, the general song structures) are still there. You could argue that the qualities of the product are the same, even though the packaging has changed. This contrasts with bands who are manufactured by a record company, run through a PR machine and who churn I OPINION 52 | Winter 2025 | ontapmag.co.za