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"Biertourist":yjix2yvq wrote: For those who are of the opinion that a definition of the "craft" component shouldn't speak to ingredients, what do you propose a definition of "craft" SHOULD include? [/quote:yjix2yvq]I don't believe it's appropriate to separate the components. I notice you're not bothered about defining the the "Irish" component: 800 years' worth of worms in that there can, fella.

Like "Real Ale", "Irish craft beer" is a single term. Any use of the individual elements in either always refers back to the phrase as a whole, and the phrase as a whole has a specific, defined, meaning attached.

As far as I know, CAMRA and Beoir are the only beer consumers' groups which discriminate between different types of beer and which therefore require terms and definitions to operate coherently.

I see the quandary involved in defining craft, it's all a craft. It's arguable in fact that the brewers from the big boys are much moreso craftsmen than some small start up brewery, I think the issue is calling it craft beer in the first place.
I also see the problem with defining craft by size, before we know it we'll have "Blue Moons" slipping in under the radar as "stealth" BMC with a craft air.

"EoinMag":3pvde0ra wrote: before we know it we'll have "Blue Moons" slipping in under the radar as "stealth" BMC with a craft air.[/quote:3pvde0ra]The people who drafted the Finance Act 2005 thought of that, and we follow their lead.

"Biertourist":1r3qbq09 wrote: -Pointing out problems without solutions is just complaining; constructive feedback involves providing alternative solutions.
[/quote:1r3qbq09]
WooooOOOOOOooooo! <!-- s;) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s;) -->

I prefer not to do the whole "craft" word at all. Currently the 20kHL thing defines micro-breweries from a Revenue perspective, so that's not craft either. That's a legal definition of a micro-brewery!

There is a problem too whereby if a "craft" brewer goes over the limit by 1 litre, has the beer itself changed? No it hasn't.

&amp;quot;Tube&amp;quot;:2pda1kex wrote: Currently the 20kHL thing defines micro-breweries from a Revenue perspective, so that's not craft either. That's a legal definition of a micro-brewery![/quote:2pda1kex]'Tis true. But the word craft is already out there elsewhere, working. We're just harnessing it for our own ends. Five letters, one syllable: it's neat.

&amp;quot;Tube&amp;quot;:2pda1kex wrote: There is a problem too whereby if a "craft" brewer goes over the limit by 1 litre, has the beer itself changed? No it hasn't.[/quote:2pda1kex]That's not a problem at all. We're not a campaign for "good" beer, or "high-quality" beer: that wouldn't make any sense. We push a choice agenda, trying to encourage small breweries because small breweries bring choice to the drinker.

On that glorious bright morning when Dungarvan brews its 20,001st hectolitre that year, we say "Fair thee well, Dungarvan: you no longer have need of our campaign, the best of luck to you". And hopefully by that stage there will be fifty+ other microbreweries that we can put our resources towards supporting.

To me, "craft" indicates a hands on process by people who understand aforesaid craft. I don't think that chemically deconstructing something and then reconstituting it in a lab is craft, it's science/chemistry.