Comments on: Who first used the words craft beer?

By: Paul Gatza

Paul Gatza — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:02:49 +0000

The earliest publication of the term “Craft Brewing” here at the Brewers Association that I know about is The New Brewer magazine, Vol. 1, No. 5, September-October 1984, pages 3-4 in Vince Cottone’s article “Craft Brewing Comes of Age.” The term is “craft beer” is not used in the article, but Vince used the phrases “craft-brewing scene,” “craft brewery” and “craft brewing” in the piece. I have a scan of the article available upon request. Paul is the prefix of my email, and brewersassociation.org is the suffix. Thanks.

By: Martyn Cornell

Martyn Cornell — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:10:37 +0000

Damn Google Books and their faulty meta-data! Should have guessed it was too early for the phrase to get into sucn a publication.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:07:51 +0000

Martyn, your reference from Google Books is actually in a volume published in 2007 — had it handy in the library where I work. The first volumes in the series were published in 1988 and they’ve been adding 6-8 a year ever since but it usually is referenced under 1988 as year of publication. The entry you found is on the Lion Brewery in PA.

By: Andy Crouch

Andy Crouch — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:32:27 +0000

Hi Mike. As I noted, the Brewers Association (whose link you posted) was very late to the game when it came to using the phrase craft beer and I’m not quite sure the organization has used it (until very recently) so much as a marketing term as a way of distinguishing and defining its membership. In any event, it isn’t particularly relevant in this discussion regarding the phrase’s origins, which, from all accounts I’ve seen, were not marketing-based.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:17:45 +0000

Thanks for the reply, Stan. I hope you’ll agree that the link I posted is clearly a marketing use of the term, which, as Alan has already pointed out, makes it pretty meaningless.

By: Andy Crouch

Andy Crouch — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:26:45 +0000

Thanks Stan, look forward to reading the post.

By: Stan Hieronymus

Stan Hieronymus — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:17:57 +0000

A quick note, and I don’t want to discourage anybody from finding an earlier reference to “craft beer” than Vince Cottone in 1986 (that means you, Maureen) . . . but I did trade emails with Cottone and he writes that he doesn’t remember hearing the phrase before he used it, and defined it. He allows he might have picked it up in the UK.

What he had to say in 1986 merits its own post – probably tomorrow – but I did want to address Mike’s question. It wasn’t conceived as a marketing term, but for Cottone to be able to write about a family of beers. However, he points out, that Jim Koch of Boston Beer (which began selling beer in 1985) quickly recognized the value of the term and began using it.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:22:11 +0000

Andy, I did not say they were the first. An important point this discussion seems to be missing is: was the first use valid? Did others then pick it up as a marketing term? Or was it a marketing term from the beginning?

By: Andy Crouch

Andy Crouch — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:13:04 +0000

The BA was a late comer to the use of ‘craft beer’ so it isn’t, to my mind, much of a factor when it comes to the origins of the phrase. After reviewing various media archives and from my collection of beer books, I’ve never seen an earlier usage (along with a definition) than Cottone’s. Be interested to hear what others turn up.

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 15:56:47 +0000

I’m with Velky Al that this probably started in a brewery marketing department. And not necessarily a small brewery. I’ve also asked Ron and he doesn’t think it was used in the UK.

Stan, in close connection with this, I would hope you would start a discussion about this: http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/craft-brewer-defined

It may or may not be the first use of the term, but it certainly seems like the leading use of it today.