An Introduction to Craft Beer

Intro to Craft Beer

What is craft beer? Simply put, craft beer is beer made by a small, independent brewer. Small towns and cities often have breweries of their own which their locals enjoy. That would be considered a craft brewery. A neighbour who ordered their own brewing equipment online and created their own beer-like concoction would also technically be craft beer. Brands like Budweiser, Coors, Heineken, etc are all far too big to have craft beer. If it’s a household name for most of the country, it’s likely not craft beer.

All beer falls into one of two categories. Ales and Lagers. Ales are aromic and often times fruity, and lagers are often crisp, clean, and refreshing. The most common type of craft beer is an Indian Pale Ale, otherwise known as an IPA. IPAs are so common because of their diverse taste, flavour, and aromic options. 

To make craft beer, here is everything you need:

• Brewing Kettle 
• Fermenter + Air Lock
• Sanitizer
• Auto-Siphon
• Stir Spoon
• Beer Recipe Kit (or individual ingredients)

On top of all of that, time. Typically the fermentation process takes around 2 weeks although it depends on the desired effect of the beer. So be prepared to wait.

Once the wait is over, then the bottling process can begin. The bottling process includes bottling or even putting it into cans if the equipment is available for that. Serving the beer can also be done by using a draft system like the True Refrigeration Draft Beer Dispenser.

Craft beer is the perfect type of beer for folks who like to try something new. There is no shortage of craft beer in the world. There are independent breweries in almost every town, so craft beer is a great beverage to have when traveling to different areas and dining in different cities.

Not only does craft beer offer different tastes depending on where you go, it offers different looks too. Packeging is so important, and each craft beer comes with a unique new packaging. The look of the beer from the outside is just as important, if not more important, than the actual taste of it. Craft breweries often put that into perspective and use that information in a way to market to specific demographics.

Craft beer is the beer of the future, there is no doubt about that. But don’t worry, the big beer names like Budweiser and Coors aren’t going anywhere any time soon. No matter what kind of beer you like, be it household brands or unique craft brews, you will have no shortage either way.