American craft beer captures British brewers’ attention

The independent spirit of American craft brewers is impacting British brewers who are putting their own unique stamp on the craft beer mantra.

The craft beer craze isn’t confined to our great U.S. of A. Our independent brewing spirit has inspired those across the globe. Just look at what’s happening in Vancouver or with Dogfish Head’s latest collaboration. Need more proof? The BBC recently took a look at how American brewers are causing a craft stir across the pond.

From the BBC:

While Camra has held its annual Great British Beer Festival since 1975, February 2013 saw London’s first Craft Beer Rising – an event complete with modish DJs and trendy pop-up restaurants stalls, dedicated to the upstart movement.

“It’s a more exciting product,” says Neil Taylor of the Scottish brewery-cum-pub-chain Brew Dog. “It doesn’t taste like anything else. People who are willing to push themselves are going to get more out of it.

“The establishment in the U.S. is bottled lagers; here it’s lagers and real ales.”

Real ale, or cask-conditioned beer, is typically unfiltered, unpasteurized beer conditioned and served from a cask. It’s a process that many American brewers are well-versed in, if the cask-area at the Ohio Craft Brewers Association Winter Warmer event is any indication.

It’s not just the quest for unique craft beers that has fueled the interest overseas. With the passion for craft brews comes the swagger — the “I made it my way” attitude of many craft brewers who seek to serve their local communities with pride. Again the BBC:

And just as hipsters in Williamsburg or Whitechapel can be identified by their vintage attire and avant-garde record collections, craft beer’s blend of retro authenticity and bold experimentalism appeals to the same demographic, believes Cole.

“There’s a sense of whimsy about it, and of rebellion, pushing boundaries,” she adds.

Those whose heckles are raised by urban would-be trendsetters might dismiss it as a fad. But traditionalists claim to be unruffled.

Not merely content with imitation, it appears that our British craft beer counterpoints have captured arguably the most important aspect of craft beer: Pride in who you are and what you brew.