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Lingo update: ‘Craft’ beer is now ‘indie’ beer (great, now we have to change the site name)

February 3, 2016Keith Gribbins

beer bar judge quality control
Indie beer! If I wore a monocle, it would be shattering right now!

Because Big Beer has decided to confuse consumers using the term “craft beer” to describe certain breweries and products in its portfolio, the people have decided to change the term “craft beer” to “indie beer” when describing brands not owned by macro beverage giants like Anheuser-Busch InBev (brands that, we assume, fit the Brewers Association definition of craft, which will now be called indie). Got it? We quote this story from the San Diego Reader:

The Indie Beer designation (and social media hashtag) arose during a November 17 podcast on ThreeBZine.com, a blog devoted to local beer, music and food. During a discussion about Ballast Point’s billion-dollar sale to Constellation Brands, podcasters Cody Thompson, Dustin Lothspeich and Tom Pritchard decried the efforts of “Big Beer” to enter the craft beer marketplace, including other recent purchases of longstanding craft brands Lagunitas, Elysian and Golden Road.

“Is craft beer even a thing any more, or is it just marketing?” asked Pritchard. “It’s been appropriated by corporations.” Taking a cue from the concept of Indie Rock in the music industry, the trio settled on Indie Beer as a way to distinguish small, privately owned businesses.

Well, there you have it. The people have spoken. Indie Beer Business, here we come!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. CaraRhea says

    February 4, 2016 at 10:13 pm

    “Indie beer” it is… https://t.co/r4HGa5yXW8

    Log in to Reply
  2. PompeyBeerFest says

    February 4, 2016 at 5:41 pm

    RT @jpatrickauthor: https://t.co/gSVMvYMArK

    Craft brewers are starting to call themselves indie brewers because macro brewers are abusing …

    Log in to Reply
  3. SirBenMills says

    February 4, 2016 at 5:41 pm

    RT @jpatrickauthor: https://t.co/gSVMvYMArK

    Craft brewers are starting to call themselves indie brewers because macro brewers are abusing …

    Log in to Reply
  4. HailTheHop says

    February 4, 2016 at 5:28 pm

    RT @jpatrickauthor: https://t.co/gSVMvYMArK

    Craft brewers are starting to call themselves indie brewers because macro brewers are abusing …

    Log in to Reply
  5. DenverBeerGuy says

    February 4, 2016 at 5:26 pm

    RT @jpatrickauthor: https://t.co/gSVMvYMArK

    Craft brewers are starting to call themselves indie brewers because macro brewers are abusing …

    Log in to Reply
  6. jpatrickauthor says

    February 4, 2016 at 5:19 pm

    https://t.co/gSVMvYMArK

    Craft brewers are starting to call themselves indie brewers because macro brewers are abusing the word craft.

    Log in to Reply
  7. christoferguson says

    February 4, 2016 at 5:02 pm

    Lingo update: ‘Craft’ beer is now ‘indie’ beer https://t.co/lB4dAHuenm #craftbeer #indieBeer

    Log in to Reply
  8. crsimp01 says

    February 3, 2016 at 1:47 pm

    Lingo update: ‘Craft’ beer is now ‘indie’ beer https://t.co/wEqsENaRTh via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  9. BeerMeClothes says

    February 3, 2016 at 1:24 pm

    LVRGLLC: #CraftBeer #CraftBrewing #Beer #BeerBiz Lingo update: ‘Craft’ beer is now ‘indie’ beer (great, now we hav… https://t.co/DFR3v9uOeh

    Log in to Reply
  10. LVRGLLC says

    February 3, 2016 at 1:17 pm

    #CraftBeer #CraftBrewing #Beer #BeerBiz Lingo update: ‘Craft’ beer is now ‘indie’ beer (great, now we have to c… https://t.co/AfdONIOhbm

    Log in to Reply
  11. TheBrewbellion says

    February 3, 2016 at 12:27 pm

    @CraftBrewingBiz @ThreeBZine We favour #CAMBI – crafting artisanal micro beverages independently…

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