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The Craft Beer Revolution

The craft beer revolution occurred after the consolidation and homogenization of the beer

industry in the late 19th century. The emergence of the craft beer market was a result of two main

factors: increased demand for variety due to increased homogenization, and growth in personal

income. This essay details the factors that led to the craft beer revolution in the 1980s and

discusses the pioneers of the industry. The paper also elucidates the non-brewing promoters of

craft beer, and their contribution towards the craft beer revolution.

The main factor that led to the craft beer revolution is the increased homogenization of

the larger beer from multinational breweries (Elzinga et al., 2015). In the mid-1970s, light beer

which contained less calories than the normal lager became increasingly popular. This revolution

to “Lite” brands was emulated by major companies who began to produce lighter and lighter

beer brands that led to depreciation of beer taste and quality. Beer brands from multinational

companies were almost indistinguishable from one another. This homogeneity paved way for

craft brewers to produce dark lagers and ale with distinct taste stronger alcohol content.

The other factor that led to the craft beer revolution was the increase in personal income

and subsequent customer demand for variety (Garavaglia and Swinnen, 2017). With increased

purchasing power, consumers continually searched for new style and tastes in beer, and showed

increased preference to locally produced products. This development resulted in massive

expansion of the craft beer market to satisfy the emerging market segment.

Three individuals pioneered the craft beer segment in the mid-1970s and early 80s. The

first individual was Fritz Maytag who purchased the collapsing Anchor Brewing company and

established it as the first craft brewer (Elzinga et al., 2015). The second entrant was Jack

McAuliffe, a welder and engineer who started New Albion Brewing Industry in 1976. McAuliffe
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is recognized as the first to encourage beer as a drink to be paired with food like wine (Elzinga et

al., 2018). The third individual was Ken Grossman, an experienced home brewer. After visiting

the facilities of Maytag and McAuliffe, Grossman was inspired and partnered up with Paul

Camusi to found Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. By 2013, this company was the second

largest craft brewer with over one million barrels in sales (Elzinga et al., 2015).

The craft beer promoters also played an important role in this revolution. Three main

individuals Fred Eckhardt, Charles Papazian and Michael Jackson stimulated demand for craft

beer through their writings. The promoters played an important role as they disseminated

information about home brewing and spurred many consumers away from multinational

companies. Fred Eckhardt wrote a book titled A Treatise on Larger Beers. This book spread the

practice of home brewing to thousands of beer enthusiasts. Charles Papazian also wrote a book

on home brewing, and began the Zymurgy Magazine that initiated customers to the craft beer

segment (Elzinga et al., 2015). Moreover, Papazian organized the Great American Beer Festival

in 1982 which acted as a major promotion avenue for craft beer. Michael Jackson also

contributed significantly through his book The World Guide to Beer that educated a wide

audience on the tastes of different beers (Elzinga et al., 2015). This book reached millions of

readers and widely propagated the vast variety of craft beers and beer styles from around the

world.
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References

Elzinga, K., Tremblay, C., & Tremblay, V. (2015). Craft Beer in the United States: History,

Numbers and Geography. Journal of Wine Economics, 10(3), 242-274.

Elzinga, K., Tremblay, C., & Tremblay, V. (2018). Craft Beer in the USA: Strategic Connections

to Macro-and European brewers. Economic Perspectives on Craft Beer: A Revolution in

the Global Beer Industry, 55-88.

Garavaglia, C., & Swinnen, J. (2017). The Craft Beer Revolution: An International Perspective.

Choices, 32(3), 1-8.