These are tough economic times for small-scale craft breweries, as recent closures have sadly illustrated. But the ethos of creative defiance and quirky independence lives on. At the annual Didsbury beer festival in Manchester this weekend, drinking possibilities range from the intriguingly named Interior Life in the Exterior World, by the Mancunian brewer Cloudwater, to the less angsty Superdelic Single Hop, from Big Trip. Sellout crowds have testified to the resilience of a sector that combines playfulness with an intense seriousness about hoppy beer.
Successfully appealing to the cognoscenti, however, is one thing. Courting non-aficionados, and coping with ever more wily multinational competitors, is quite another. A survey commissioned by the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (Siba) has found that clever branding, combined with judicious takeovers of successful independents, is allowing industry giants to muscle in and profit from pushing their own pseudo-artisanal vibe. Just under half of those questioned by YouGov believed, for example, that the rough-and-ready sounding Neck Oil beer is brewed by an independent, when in fact it is the product of Heineken-owned Beavertown.
Having realised that local authenticity sells, global beer companies have gone out and bought it. Popular brands such as Camden Town and Blue Moon have been stealthily swallowed up behind the scenes. Beavertown was the 2011 north London creation of Logan Plant, son of Robert, the Led Zeppelin star. Two years ago, Heineken took full control of the company. It now profits from its Tottenham associations, selling One of Our Own Beavertown IPA at Spurs’ stadium.
Three-quarters of those surveyed by YouGov said they felt that a lack of clarity over actual ownership was misleading drinkers who wanted to spend their money supporting local, small-scale producers. In a rearguard action, Siba has decided to abandon the “craft” label altogether, in favour of a more clearly definable “indie beer” identity. The rebranding marks the beginning of a campaign to reclaim the artisanal brewing space for its members, which must be British businesses, truly independent and responsible for less than 1% of UK beer production.
A mark that Siba hopes will be visible on beer pumps, bottles and cans will enable punters to check the bona fides of the beer they are about to buy. An alternative method of verification is also now possible via a website that distinguishes the real indies from the corporate wannabes. Showing admirable solidarity, the Campaign for Real Ale and the British Institute of Innkeepers have already thrown their weight behind the initiative.
With a raised glass in hand, so does this newspaper. Since the craft boom was facilitated by a Gordon Brown tax break in 2002, an array of startups have added flavoursome gaiety to the life of the beer-drinking nation. The big beasts of the industry were always going to cotton on and catch up. But a niche sector that taps into a sense of place and local identity, and values the small-scale and experimental, needs the space and freedom to thrive. Siba’s consciousness-raising exercise is a smart move in the right direction.
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