In the beginning

Beer has been brewed for centuries, but the modern craft beer movement has its roots in 1970s America, when home-brewing was decriminalised and flavour explorers recreated Belgian, British and German beers in innovative ways.
Then
In the Nineties, these bold and beautiful US-style beers began to inspire UK brewers like Dark Star. Craft beer became mainstream when the likes of BrewDog Punk IPA – the textbook modern craft brew – was stocked in supermarket.

Now
The global brewing giants have started buying up smaller craft brands, like Camden and Meantime, signalling a huge worldwide shift in the consumption of beer.
Try it yourself
Steve Taylor, from The Bottle Shop, says: ‘When picking a craft brew, freshness is a key factor as some of the more fun flavours are fragile and taste best within 8-10 weeks of being brewed. We recommend visiting your local independent beer bar or shop and asking your beermonger to help you pick a selection.’
Further reading…
Guide to craft beer
How to match beer with food
From March 2017