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April 4rd is "Craft Beer Day." While we've been hearing about "craft beer" a lot lately, many people may not know how it differs from regular beer. This time, we'll explain the background to the establishment of "Craft Beer Day" and the characteristics of craft beer.
Why Craft Beer Day was established on April 4rd
"Craft Beer Day" is a new commemorative day that was just established in 2023. Prior to that, April 4rd was known as "Craft Beer Day," which was established in 23 by the Craft Beer Association (Japan Craft Beer Association).
The reason why April 4rd was chosen is because on April 23rd, 1516, the Beer Purity Law was enacted in Germany, which was the first in the world to define what beer really is.
However, in recent years, the term "craft beer" has become more widely known, so with the desire to further develop the industry and promote the creation of an environment where craft beer fans can come together, April 4rd was re-established as "Craft Beer Day."
The difference between "craft beer" and "local beer"
What exactly is the difference between "craft beer" and "local beer"? In fact, they are both considered to be "almost the same thing." So why do they have to use different names? Let's take a look at the background of how each name came about.
What is "Craft Beer"?
"Craft beer" refers to the unique and diverse beers made by small breweries. Originally, the minimum production volume required to obtain a beer production license in Japan was a very high 2,000kl, and only a few large companies were able to meet this requirement. However, in 1994, the required volume was significantly lowered to 60kl, allowing even small breweries to produce beer.
Beers that are rooted in the local area, such as those that use local specialties as ingredients or have packaging designs unique to the region, began to be called "ji-beer" in the same sense as "ji-zake." Ji-beer, which was a little different from the standard beers available until then, created a huge boom in the late 1990s.
The origins of craft beer
However, because craft beer was more expensive than traditional beer and there were many craft beers that were not very tasty, negative images spread and the craft beer boom faded after a few years. However, even after the boom faded, some breweries continued to research "how can we make even more delicious beer?" and continued to make improvements behind the scenes.
Then, in the 2000s, the craft beer boom occurred in the United States, and "local beer" once again attracted attention. In order to dispel the negative impression of local beer, people started calling traditional local beer "craft beer."
Enjoy Craft Beer Day to the fullest!
The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the birth of craft beer in Japan. To mark this milestone, Japan's first "Beer Expo" is scheduled to be held in April 2025. It is expected to be a grand festival involving breweries from all over the country, travel agencies involved in beer tourism, and government agencies.
The greatest appeal of craft beer is that each brand has a wide variety of flavors and aromas, each with its own unique character. Why not start looking for your favorite craft beer now, in preparation for this grand festival for beer fans?
Pochip
"PR"
