Craft – Is it just a beery buzzword?

Are we all a little craft-ed out?

Why it’s so much more than just a buzzword.

It seems like wherever we go these days, we’re bombarded with the term ‘craft’. Craft beer, craft pies, craft pickles, craft sandals, craft beards – everything now comes in a ‘craft specific’ version.  How sick are you of hearing about it?

Sure, the hype may be annoying, but for many beer lovers, its meteoric rise is a good thing.  The perfect middle ground between real and boutique, it’s a way to get all the thrills while getting a decent beer too.

Of course, that’s what many of us were doing anyway, long before it was named in this way.  It was just a case of assembling the pieces and putting together a concept that could be sold to everyone and not just the enthusiasts who’ve been modding their beers to their own specification for years.

While the ‘C’ word has become a bit of an in-joke for those not easily swayed by the latest fashions, this ‘new’ brewing style has already helped deliver some pretty amazing things, from superb beers and bars, to new pub trails and opportunities to drink and to socialise.  The huge success of the recent UK round of Craft Festivals, with their big crowds and positive vibe, goes some way to show the growing appetite for taking part in it as well.

Craft has created a credible middle ground that’s helping to reinvigorate the industry without taking anything away from the established principles of tradition and history.  It may be an over-marketed term, but I reckon it’s simply a good thing for one and all.

 

Now, I know what you’re thinking….we’ve heard it all before….this is old news.  Perhaps it is.  But there’s a twist. The blog post above is word for word – bar a smidge of artistic licence – an article lifted from Mountain Biking UK (pg.25, Summer 2014 edition).  The article is talking about the recent craze, and growing sub-culture of the mountain biking fraternity – Enduro.  I’ve subbed ‘Enduro’ for ‘Craft’, and I rather like the similarities.