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WHAT’S A CRAFT BEER, ANYWAY?
hen people talk about enjoying a , what does that mean, exactly? “Defining craft beer is tough because beer can be. More easily definable, she says, is an American . According to the Brewers Association, an American craft brewery is three things: small, independent, and a brewer of beer. This means that the brewer’s annual production is 6 million barrels or less, that less than a quarter of the business is controlled by a non-craft brewer, and that it has an Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau Brewer’s Notice. By this standard, Breckenridge Brewery ceased to be “craft” after Anheuser-Busch purchased more than 25 percent of it. But, what about the beer itself characterizes it as “craft”? “Brewing beer is an art, and small and independent U.S. brewers push the boundaries of what beer can be with their imaginative take on traditional beer styles as well as their creative approach to new ones,” says Baker, who adds that craft breweries have transformed the American beer landscape from relatively monotonous to world-class. If you’re at the store trying to figure out if the six-pack you’re about to buy qualifies as craft, check for the independent craft brewer seal. “It looks like an upside-down beer bottle, which symbolizes how U.S. craft brewers have turned the beer world upside down,” says Baker. If you want to see what all the hype is about, head to Denver’s Great American Beer Festival, Oct. 3-5. Beer from craft breweries is a staple of this beer lover’s paradise.
