What qualities earn a beer `craft' status?
GEOFF GRIGGS
Relevant offers
Beer
It has become a bit of a ritual. Every Friday morning I jump in my car and head to Moran St, Blenheim, where I join a queue of people eagerly waiting on the pavement outside the window of de Brood Bakker's bakery. Along with an ever-growing number of Marlburians, I'm there to buy the wonderful breads, pastries and savouries offered by Dutch baker Fred Roubos and his team.
Yeasty sourdough loaves, toffee-ish nougatine biscuits, the most "French"-tasting ficelles (skinny baguettes) I've had outside of France, Eccles cakes to make an Englishman weep, and the best steak-and-cheese pies I've tasted since arriving in Kiwiland; they're all there, along with a whole load of other tasty delights that I'll probably never get round to trying because I enjoy my favourites so much and am trying to keep my weight down. And my budget is limited!
I know I could get a lot more for my money at the local supermarket, but that's not the point. I go to de Brood's because the stuff they sell tastes fantastic! Fred is an artisanal baker who is highly skilled in his craft; he uses the highest quality ingredients he can source and makes everything to the best of his ability. I like that. I can taste the difference and I'm prepared to pay a premium for it.
It's the same with cheese, coffee, hamburgers, olive oil, wine, and a whole host of other things. These days there is almost always a choice; we can buy the real thing, produced by a craftsman using the highest quality ingredients, or we can buy a cheaper, mass-produced and often toned-down version. Think about instant coffee compared to freshly roasted beans, or a slice of processed cheese compared with a wedge of properly matured cheddar.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not bad-mouthing those cheaper products – I reckon they have their place in the market. Many of my friends find it hard to understand that I actually prefer a cup of instant coffee to the "real thing" first thing in the morning. I think it's quick, easy to make, unchallenging on the palate and just what I'm looking for at that time of day. There are also occasions when a Big Mac hits the spot just fine.
What's crucial is for the consumer to be able to recognise the difference between the two types of product. Flash packaging and a high price don't necessarily indicate quality.
Beer is a perfect example. I regularly use the terms "craft" and "mainstream' in this column and – with the price of some craft beers now outstripping a bottle of Marlborough sav – people often ask me to explain what they mean. To me it's simple: craft beer is made with a focus on flavour and quality, just like de Brood's bread. It is the antithesis of mainstream beer, which is brewed cheaply, often with cost-saving adjuncts and processes.
In the United States, mainstream beers are known as "macro" beers, but I don't much like the term. It suggests the quality of a beer is somehow related to the size of the brewery, and that's not the case. For example, America's largest craft brewery, Sierra Nevada, produces a broad range of excellent craft beers, but its brewhouse – in Chico, California – is larger than many "mainstream" breweries in our part of the world. And besides, I can think of a few smaller breweries in New Zealand whose products certainly don't meet the criteria for craft beers.
We should not judge a beer by where it was brewed or whether it comes out of a can, bottle, or plastic rigger, but by what's in the glass. If, like de Brood's bread, it smells and tastes good, then we should be prepared to pay the difference. It's as simple as that.
Cheers!
- The Marlborough Express
Newest First
Oldest First
bon apetit and slainte mhath!