A crafty move

In the context of beer, I'm no fan of the term "craft beer" - it’s too easily manipulated and redefined by whoever’s using it. The term lacks precision, and there’s no universally accepted meaning. It generally seems to mean "beer not brewed by one of the big corporate breweries”. Maybe that’s a reasonable definition, but it also carries connotations of quality, even superiority. It’s not just a straightforward label; it subtly implies something better than the mainstream. Either way, it's not a term I’ve ever felt entirely comfortable with. 

It’s not surprising that the big brewers are increasingly using the term “craft”. A big corporate brewer can develop a sub-brand and call it “craft beer”, or acquire a “craft beer” brand while maintaining the “craft” label. In either case, the beer may have none of the characteristics that the public will likely tell you defines a “craft beer” for them, i.e. it’s not a small scale brewery, it doesn’t use the finest ingredients or doesn’t rely on traditional brewing methods….or whatever the person you're asking thinks defines a “craft beer”. Therein lies the problem, the public can’t rely on the term “craft beer” because there is no universally accepted definition. As a result, a lot of people seem to have been misled. The public clearly think the term “craft beer” has some sort of positive quality inference, and the big brewers are happy to manipulate this perception to increase their own sales.

When a term is co-opted by large players in the market, its value obviously diminishes. The term “Indie Beer” has recently been registered as a Certification Mark, a specific type of trade mark providing a guarantee that the goods or services bearing the mark meet a certain defined standard or possess a particular characteristic. This reflects an attempt by independent breweries to reclaim their identity and create a new identifier that accurately represents their small-scale, independent operations. Trade mark law provides an excellent mechanism to ensure consumers aren’t misled – they can be assured that a beer marked “Indie Beer” meets the standards set by SIBA. Whether those standards reflect your definition of “craft beer” depends on you, but it’s arguably a significant improvement on having to rely on the pretty much meaningless “craft beer” label.

My colleague Ella has also shared her thoughts on this story here https://reacts.marks-clerk.com/post/102jmhf/the-evolution-of-the-term-craft-beer.