Brooklyn Brewery: CAMRA To Relax Their Stance on Craft Brewers

Roger Protz, revered beer writer and CAMRA activist for many years, informed the crowd that the infamously stubborn cask ale defenders at CAMRA had decided to relax their stance on craft brewers and welcome them to the fold. This is a surprisingly progressive move considering the generations of staunch advocacy for traditional British “real ale” to be the most important member of the UK beer scene. “This is not a battle between cask and keg, but between good beer vs. industrial beer,” Roger Protz said to Steve. CAMRA will still have a heavy focus on advancing cask ales, but it is nonetheless a major unifying step for beer lovers across Britain.

The craft brewers at the panel also came with a big news for the craft sector. Logan Plant of Beavertown Brewery and Jasper Cuppaidge of Camden Town Brewery announced that craft breweries from around Britain had decided to come together and form a new brewers’ association to span the U.K. In 1980, the Society of Independent Brewers was founded with the same goals in mind, but Jasper criticized the group as being too slow to act. The new group, dubbed United Craft Brewers, will “promote and protect the interests of British craft breweries, their beers and the community of beer enthusiasts.” The group hopes to be organized and operational within the year.

So how does the UCB define craft? What did Steve have to say about CAMRA’s shifting position and the UCB following the footsteps of the American counterpart, the Brewers Association? You can catch the entire discussion today on the Brooklyn Brewery and First We Feast podcast State of Craft Beer. Listen in, subscribe, and follow us around the world as we learn about beer throughout our 2015 Mash Tour.