What is beer? What constitutes being a “brewery”? On this week’s episode (listen here) of Beer Sessions Radio™ on the Heritage Radio Network, two of craft beers most ardent opponents of contract brewing argue their case over why local beer is one part craft, 99 parts community. Rich Buceta of Singlecut Beersmiths in Queens started quite the firestorm late last year when he posted a sign referencing the concerns in some part of the craft beer world that contract brewing isn’t “real” brewing. Greenport Harbor’s Jeff Dorowski continues the conversation he began on one of our first shows talking about his concerns with contract brewing. And Augie Carton of Carton Brewing chimes in on the importance of Carton being a local brewery.
Beer Sessions Radio™ producer and beer writer Justin Kennedy, even comes up with a new rubric to discuss the types of breweries (and this blogger would add “Brewpub” to this list):
- “Brand” Brewery – No physical presence, no personality associated with the beer, not an individual brewer.
- “Brewery in Planning” – A “locally” marketed beer with the intention of eventually building a facility associated with the brand (early Brooklyn Brewery is a good example; Bronx Brewing is a modern example).
- Gypsy Brewers – No physical presence, but definitely a personality or brewer associated with the brand.
- Diversified Brewery – A growing presence necessitating off-premise brewing; Sixpoint of late.
- “Traditional” Brewery – A brick-and-mortar presence with a brewer and/or personality, serving the immediate community and perhaps distributed regionally.
We invite you to listen in and form your own opinion about what makes a “brewery” part of the craft beer community.