What is a microbrewery?

What is a “Microbrewery”? Microbrewery is a small brewery producing craft brewed beer, but it is largely consumed which is not in the brewery premises.

Most people and orginazations don’t have the same ideas on what is the clear borders about the size limitation of a microbrewery, almost everyone comes to the agreement that breweries making less than 12,000 hl (about 10,000 US barrels) looks like to meet the description. In a word  the beer barrels number which produces one year classfy if it is a microbrewery.

For example, if most beer is sold by the brewery on the premises, it’s sometimes termed a “brewpub” rather than a microbrewery, although many breweries are both. Small breweries are usually a modern concept for non Europeans, but in fact, all breweries were once family breweries (ancient British Breweries), beer bars (mature German Breweries), or what we now call small breweries. It was not until the 1700s that the industrial revolution advanced technology enough to make large-scale brewing a practical and profitable enterprise. By the mid-1800s, large and small breweries proliferated throughout Europe and the United States.

The term "micro brewery" originated in the UK in the late 1970s and is used to describe a new generation of small breweries focusing on the production of traditional barreled beer independent of major brewers or bar chains. In 1972, Martin Sykes founded Selby brewery. It is the first new independent brewing company in about 50 years. "I foresee a real malt recovery, so it started early," he said. Litchborough brewery is another early example, founded by bill Urquhart in 1974. In addition to commercial brewing, litchborough also provides training courses and apprenticeship opportunities. Many early pioneers of the British movement passed its courses before setting up their own breweries.

Before the development of large commercial breweries in Britain, beer was brewed in places where beer was sold. Alewives will post a sign - a hops stick or beer stick - to show when their beer is ready. Medieval authorities were more concerned with ensuring the quality and intensity of beer than discouraging drinking. Gradually, people began to participate in beer making and form guilds, such as the brewers Association in London in 1342 and the Edinburgh brewers Association in 1598; As brewing became more organized and reliable, many hotels and pubs stopped brewing for themselves and bought beer from these early commercial breweries.

However, some breweries continue to brew their own beer, such as the Blue Anchor Brewery in Helston, Cornwall, which was established in 1400 and is considered to be the oldest brewery in the UK. In Britain in the 20th century, most traditional pubs brewed their own beer in the brewery behind the pub, which was bought by larger breweries and stopped brewing in that place. By the mid-1970s, there were only four countries left: All Nations (Madley, Shropshire), Old Swan (Netherton, West Midlands), Tee (Bishop’s Castle in Shropshire), and Blue Anchor Bar (Helston, Cornwall).

In the 1970s, the trend of large brewing companies began to change. At that time, the popularity of the traditional brewing method of the Real Beer Movement (CAMRA) and the success of Michael Jackson's "World Beer Guide" prompted British brewers such as Peter Austin established his own small brewery or beer group. In 1979, a British bar chain called "Firkin" opened for business, reaching more than 100 at the peak of the chain; however, the chain was sold and eventually its bars stopped brewing their own beer.

Some British brewers specialize in brewing ale, while others brew lagers and wheat beer. Ars Department, Burnley; Mason Armed by Oxford Headington; Derby Brunswick Hotel (in 2010, half of the beer sold at this hotel was brewed on-site); Wins Cumbria Water Mill Bar; Old Cannon Brewery Bury St Edmunds are some examples of small independent breweries in the UK.

In May 2014, the Guardian identified the city of Bristol as a prosperous microbrewery industry. Ten breweries, such as Zerodegrees, Tobacco Factory, Copper Jacks Crafthouse and Urban Standard, are recognized as thriving Bristol craft breweries.
The East End of London is also a gathering place for professional craft beer and unique independent bars and breweries. The Guardian once again listed the craft beer pubs in East London, and the local East End tour company also showed unique food and craft beer pubs to London visitors who participated in the craft beer tour.

In the UK, there is no clear standard for the definition of "craft beer". In 2019, for the first time, CAMRA allowed craft beer to be sold at its grand British Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest organizer Catherine Tonry (Catherine Tonry) said: “People who attend Oktoberfest love all forms and types of beer.”

The term "microbrewery" has only recently appeared, even if the concept is not. In the 1970s, with the rise of small breweries in the UK, the term "microbrewery" was used to describe a high-spirited entrepreneur who boldly created delicious new products in a small building or a shed. beer. In those days, there was no small brewing equipment available, so micro breweries built systems with old dairy equipment and purchased discarded small tanks from large breweries. Grundy tank is a small squat container designed by large breweries to provide beer cabinets for large city bars. It has become the backbone of many small breweries. See Grundy tanks. It can hold 5 barrels of British beer (about 7 barrels of American beer) and can be used for fermentation tanks, conditioning tanks, bright tanks or all three. Even better, the large brewers are phasing out them, so they are cheap. People build their own mud tanks, or hire welders to make mud tanks. In the early days, yeast was usually borrowed from other breweries or purchased in the form of dry yeast, but commercial yeast banks soon provided brewers with a range of different yeasts for their use. See Yeast Bank. The brewer himself is often a home brewer and gets excited at the thought that he can brew something truly special. The will to inspire is needed to prove this, but many people have accepted the challenge. This British microbrewery mainly produces "real beer", a term coined by the nascent "Real Beer Movement" (CAMRA) to describe Britain's national drink-beer in barrels. When large brewers tried to phase out this delicious but inconvenient beer, Kamra and microbrewers worked hard to bring it back to life. See "Real Ale Movement" (CAMRA) and Cask Conditioning.

The idea of ​​a microbrewery has a particular appeal in the United States. In the mid-1970s, the United States produced almost exclusively golden mass market beer. The ban brought the American beer brewing industry to a halt between 1920 and 1933, destroying all the small breweries in the country, and almost none of them recovered. The simplification of beer leaves a stupid impression on many people, especially if they have been to the UK or Europe, some of them think that the US deserves more than one beer. Fritz Metag is the heir to Metag’s washing machine wealth and was first involved in this battle in 1965. He bought the old Anchor Brewing Company, a brewery founded in the 19th century that somehow recovered after Prohibition, but limped into the second half of the 20th century. His lively, amber, and aromatic anchor steam beer is very popular locally, which shows others that delicious beer can also be sold in the United States. In 1976, John "Jack" McAuliffe worked with New Albion brewing in Sonoma, California, and in 1980, Ken Grossman ( Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi (Sierra Nevada Brewin). President Jimmy Carter signed a bill on February 1, 1979 to legalize home brewing. This bill inspired An army of microbrewers of the future. See Carter, James Earle Jr., and Home Brewing. The revolution is underway. Eventually, the west coast of the United States and Canada is full of small companies that make special equipment for the emerging US micro-wiring industry.

Beer is also revolutionary. Most micro breweries try to produce the exact opposite of large mass market breweries. Instead of light yellow beer, they brewed bold chocolate Stout Beer, spicy Indian beer and caramel amber beer. They seldom brew beer because it is difficult to ferment cold at home. Most of these former home brewers began commercial brewing with little knowledge of beer brewing. At the same time, beer can be brewed all over the world. Michael Jackson's groundbreaking book "World Beer Guide" in 1977 holds the key to the world. He describes his country affectionately. Great brewing traditions in Britain and elsewhere.

The micro wiring revolution has spawned more than 1600 breweries in the United States and about 600 in Britain, but it has also inspired handicraft movements around the world. From Japan to Finland, Brazil and even beer rich Italy, the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of microbial brewers are accelerating. Even brewers are surprised. Most of these former "micro" breweries have grown, and many are no longer so small. Even compared with international beer giants, its scale is still insignificant. The term "micro brewery" eventually became embarrassing; In the past, breweries that only brewed beer for local communities now provide the same beer to markets all over the country. What do you call it? Therefore, the term "fine brewery" replaces "micro brewery" - it describes a brewery that is still small according to international standards, but uses traditional methods to produce full flavor beer with most traditional raw materials. Although the term is no longer used, the American brewers association continues to define a micro brewery as a brewery with an annual production of less than 17600 liters (15000 US barrels).

However, as the term "microbrewery" gradually disappeared, a new participant, "nano brewery" appeared. No one has made a clear definition of nano breweries, but most of them are true small commercial operators, producing and selling beer in batches on a scale of 10-15 US gallons. As of 2011, there are only about 50 nano breweries in the United States, but more are still in the planning stage. Although nano breweries may be small, they have attracted the attention of the US tax authorities and quickly reminded them that they are not large enough to pay federal excise taxes.

As of July 2013, China is the world's largest beer consumer, and the craft beer market continues to expand. Its brands include Slowboat Brewery, Jing-a Brewery and Boxing Cat Brewery. As of July 2013, beer consumption in Shanghai, China has been doubled since 2010. At the beginning of 2013, the total beer consumption reached to 50 million liters (13 million gallons). What’s more people's interest in craft beer was increasing day by day. The Great Leap Forward Brewing Company is an example of the numerous micro-breweries that have recently been established, and its localization strategy has resulted in the use of traditional Chinese ingredients and spices in the production of Beijing brand beer. The largest beer hall in China is located in Suzhou and is managed by Taiwanese brewing company Le Ble D'or. Craft beer consumers come from abroad as well as from China.

Micro breweries is better comparing with large breweries, because these two terms distinguish breweries whichi isbased on production volume. On the other hand, craft beer is a product, not a measure of size.