" It is a beer made in a non traditional way"
Sorry but I have had to come out of retirement to have a little chuckle at some of the rubbish being spouted on here. Specially by people who apparently work at Brewery.
Beer has largely been made the same way since the dawn of making beer.
You soak the grains and extract the sugar creating wort.
The wort is then boiled adding hops as required to create a level of bitterness and aroma.
You then add yeast and ferment.
Then you put it in a bottle, keg or cask of some description and carbonate it either naturally or by force carbonating it.
Craft beer has no definition unlike Real Ale. Many people have argued over a definition and this is the best one I can find (bottom of post)....
I wouldn't say its a perfect list but there is no definition agreed upon...
It certainly has nothing to do with brewing beer in a non traditional way. I can only think people saying this are calling brewing methods used by the massive brewery's where they sacrifice taste for profit, force carbonate and pasteurises and add additives is being seen as traditional - when in fact its relativity new in the history of making beer and results in really shit beer the masses seem to flock too.
Just to add a lot of craft beer is forced carbonated ( if not it would have claim to be Real Ale)
Look up Real Ale if you want to go the next level of drinking better beer (although not always better tasting - often a craft beer can be better than a real ale for taste alone).
A European Craft Brewery:
1) Is Small
Brews less than 500,000 HL annually. *see point 3 below
2) Is Authentic
a) brews all their beers at original gravity
b) does not use rice, corn or any other adjuncts to lessen flavour and reduce costs
3) Is Honest
a) All ingredients are clearly listed on the label of all of their beers.
b) The place where the beer is brewed is clearly listed on all of their beers.
c) All their beer is brewed at craft breweries.
4) Is Independent
Is not more than 20% owned by a brewing company which operates any brewery which is not a craft brewery
