Brewers Association sets official definition for ‘quality beer’

The Brewers Association (BA) quality subcommittee has introduced a definition of “quality beer,” along with a vision and mission, which aim to guide this group’s important work. These foundational documents are designed to guide and inform their discussions and decisions as the subcommittee develops tools and resources to assist craft brewers’ dedication to brewing quality beer.

The quality subcommittee introduced the following foundational statements.

Quality subcommittee vision
Our vision is a membership that consistently produces beer of high quality.

What is quality beer?
A beer that is responsibly produced using wholesome ingredients, consistent brewing techniques and good manufacturing practices, which exhibits flavor characteristics that are consistently aligned with both the brewer’s and beer drinker’s expectations

Speaking of quality, be sure to read our feature this week on setting up a quality assurance program.

Quality subcommittee mission
We seek to continue the advancement of quality within the craft brewing community through:

• Fostering a sense of shared responsibility in all breweries for the importance of quality in craft beer;
• Motivating all BA members to invest in issues that improve and maintain quality, without compromising their focus on creativity and flavor;
• Educating all BA members about existing quality resources and best practices for ingredient selection, process control and analysis;
• Facilitating access to affordable analysis and promote the development of simple, cost effective quality methods.

“As our industry continues to experience rapid growth, it is critical that we understand the potential risks to quality and have procedures in place to control them,” said quality subcommittee chair Jason Perkins of Allagash Brewing Co. “It is the responsibility of every brewer to create a beer that meets consumer expectations in a safe, traceable and repeatable manner.”

“The phenomenal growth of the craft industry was built on quality beer. Breweries must be able to produce consistently good beer in order to thrive,” added BA technical committee co-chair Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. “The BA quality subcommittee will develop a number of resources and programs to help brewers of every size produce high quality beer that meets their beer drinkers’ expectations.”

The BA technical committee formed the quality subcommittee in the fall of 2014 to conceptualize and facilitate the continual pursuit of beer quality for craft brewers. The technical committee selected a diverse group of brewing professionals to take on the task of supporting and advocating for quality. The purpose of the group is to provide a framework for quality to craft brewers and to provide guidance to achieve the vision of a membership that consistently produces beer of high quality. For more, check out the Brewers Association website.