Craft Beer: the story and labels

Content of this blog:

• What is craft beer, or in Dutch, craftbier? And where does it originate?
• What is the relationship in the Netherlands and Belgium between craft beer breweries and the large commercial brewers?
• What is a true craft beer label?

The history of craft beer

The craft beer trend originally came from the united states in the 1970s. As in Europe, large commercial breweries used to rule the market in the U.S.. In response, quality beer enthusiasts began brewing their own beer. The emphasis was on craft brewing of various types of beer. Slowly but surely, more and more microbreweries and beer variations emerged that caught on with a growing public starting in the 1980s. The phenomenon became known as craft beer and spread around the world.

What exactly is craft beer?

People also speak of “traditional beer”. Most craft beers meet (several of) the following characteristics: a hand-crafted beer, brewed with passion by hobby or microbrewery, in any case made by brewers with a lot of passion for brewing an original, pure, honest and delicious beer in their own style. So by definition it is not a mass-produced beer! Each craft beer variation is therefore unique, often created as its own version of special beers such as IPA (beer with lots of hops), Porter (dark beer with brown malt and lots of hops), Stout (a strong version of Porter), “Saison” (originally Belgian, somewhat lighter, “fresh-fruited” beer, brewed after the harvest of surplus grain).

How is the beer market divided?

There are over 400 breweries in Belgium with a slight downward trend! People attribute the decline to an oversaturated market combined with rising costs and increasing economic performance pressure. There are approximately 20 large commercial breweries in Belgium that account for the majority of beer production by volume. In the Netherlands, the number of breweries continues to grow with (by mid-2024) more than 425 breweries (with their own kettles) or more than 900 including those without their own kettles (source: stichting erfgoed Nederlandse biercultuur). There are about 10 large beer companies in the Netherlands, with well-known names such as Heineken, Amstel and Grolsch. For both countries, then, the rest of the breweries consist of smaller, local, craft breweries, each often producing many different types of beer: ranging from several dozen to several hundred per brewery.

What are the best labels for craft beer

At least craft beer labels have one thing in common: they stand out! If one thing is important for craft beer labels, it is that the label must be very original. Not just to stand out, but the special look should reflect the uniqueness of the brewery, the brewer or the beer itself. Examples of special designs for craft beer labels:

• An entirely hand-drawn and handwritten label design
• Label design in the form of a comic strip
• Use of bright colors and or unusual fonts
• Design created by an artist
• Different shape of label, or multiple labels forming one label.
• Using local celebrities: persons, buildings, etc from the present or past

Using “storytelling,” literally or with symbols, the story of the beer or brewery can be told. Our expert design service is happy to help turn your creative ideas into a unique design for your craft beer labels.

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