Thousands of years ago, ancient civilizations brewed beer. Today, beer is the most widely brewed alcoholic beverage worldwide. The craft beer industry is worth about $20 billion. There are artisan crafters around the world vying for a slice of this market.
Craft breweries are defined by their commitment to using traditional ingredients and methods of brewing. They often make a brew that is uniquely flavorful and distinctive.
The beer crafting industry is a popular field of study at community colleges. A degree in winemaking is not as conventional, but it is a growing field in Europe. Blue Ridge Community College plans to launch a degree program in beer crafting next school year. It has enlisted the help of local brew masters to develop a curriculum for a full-fledged degree program.
The first brewery in Florida was opened in Tampa. The region’s history with beer is rich. Seventy-five percent of the 4.3 million immigrants that came to America were German. Many of these immigrants brought with them recipes for different kinds of beer. During the 1840s, a new wave of European immigrants arrived in the United States. Those immigrants were more educated and better off than the locals.
The brewing industry has been part of most western economies since the nineteenth century. Today, two billion hectolitres of beer are brewed worldwide. In the United States, a new generation of microbreweries and artisan crafters are taking a piece of the market.
A craft brewery is often designed by a single small company. Craft beer is often served at warmer temperatures than mass-produced beers.
