American craft beer is having its moment, and nowhere is that more evident than at the annual Craft Brewers Conference in Denver, Colorado, where more than 9,000 brewing industry professionals from across the globe are convening this week.
“We are all living in the greatest age of beer in the history of the world,” said Gary Fish, Deschutes Brewery founder and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Brewers Association at the conference’s Wednesday morning general session.
"At any given time, there may have been more breweries; at any given time there may have been more beer produced, but at no time has the number of breweries coupled with so much innovation and such an inspired environment of consumer and brewer to make up what is certainly the greatest age of beer the world has ever seen—and its epicenter is American craft beer,“ said Fish.
Opening remarks by speakers, including Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and BA President Charlie Papazian, celebrated American craft beer’s continued growth— U.S. craft brew sales grew 18 percent by volume in 2013, according to the BA—and flagged concerns facing a developing industry.
The greatest concern remains quality, especially among younger brewers, said BA Director Paul Gatza in his state of the industry presentation with BA Staff Economist Bart Watson.
“While the top end of craft beer quality continues to improve, there are some quality cracks with some of the newer brewers.”
Gatza shared an anecdote of when he attended a beer festival earlier this year and tried beer from ten new breweries—and found that seven of them needed improvement, had off-flavors, or showed oxidation.
“Many people in this room have spent a lot of time and dedicated a good portion of their lives to building this community that we have today, so seriously, don’t fuck it up!” said Gatza, to laughter and applause from the crowd.
Gatza also covered challenges such as franchise law reform—in order to give greater power to smaller breweries over their brands—beer and brewery naming trademark conflicts, and increased competition.
craftbrewers_02Keynote speaker Michael Pollan, food activist, author of several books including The Omnivore’s Dilemna and In Defense of Food, and self-proclaimed “homebrewer of no particular distinction,” placed beer in the larger context of agriculture, food, and history.
“[Craft brewers] blazed a path out in the world of homogenized commodities that local farmers and food producers have now followed,” said Pollan.
Yet, there is more craft brewers can do to help reform agriculture and rebuild local economies and communities, Pollan said, specifically calling out the need for brewers to look beyond big grain producers.
“Many of you are making a distinctive product reflected by craft and even terroir. Yet, let’s face it, look deeper and all too often these wonderful products are made with commodity barley and hops grown with large amounts of chemical fertilizer and pesticide,” he said. “The farming behind beer is not yet as special as brewing, and it should be.”
Photos © Brewers Association