Re:Blue Moon: The “Craft” Beer Made by Coors
by ben1040 on Saturday March 07, 2015 @12:30AM
(#9161112)
>I imagine it isn't actually legal for it to be marketed as a "craft beer," as that's a controlled term
On that note, Boston Beer Co (the ones behind Sam Adams) had been pushing for changes to the definition of "craft beer" so their mass-market beer could still fall under that heading. Specifically the 6mm barrel threshold mentioned in the Pricenomics article.
http://beerpulse.com/2011/01/brewers-association-enacts-sam-...
Re:Blue Moon: The “Craft” Beer Made by Coors
by ghaff on Saturday March 07, 2015 @08:29AM
(#9161770)
I didn't realize there was an official definition. Interestingly, at the time Sam Adams and other brews that were a step up from the mass market lagers in the US, as I recall a distinction started being draw between craft beers (Sam Adams, Harpoon, Anchor Steam, etc.) and microbrews--where microbrews were the very small local brews with limited distribution.
As I remember things, this first microbrew movement (as well as something of a homebrewing fad) sort of declined but it's more recently really roared back in force. On trend I've noticed recently is the big "craft" brewers like Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada have really expanded their lineups and come out with all sorts of limited time as well as higher-end products like barleywines.
Regarding Blue Moon: in the US, at least, their marketing seems dedicated to working in the word "craft" as frequently as possible. I imagine it isn't actually legal for it to be marketed as a "craft beer," as that's a controlled term, but they certainly use both words in isolation.