You must have wondered how and where it was made when you held a bottle of this intoxicating, coloured liquor. It was once considered a gift from God by many ancient civilizations. Beer is made in a brewery or beer factory. But do these breweries follow a standard prototype design? Is there a standard procedure that every brewery follows to produce the beloved beverage loved by many people, especially young ones? We won’t judge you if we talk about different types of breweries. Are you familiar with a craft brewery and a farm brewery? Are you familiar with the differences between a microbrewery and a large-scale macro brewery? This post will answer all your questions about how and where this intoxicating juice is produced, what criteria are used to classify breweries and how you can create different flavours and tastes.
Types of breweries
Before discussing the types of breweries, let’s talk about the most important brewers. They bring the gift of God to millions, making their lives colourful, sometimes even flashy. According to data, the largest four companies control more than half of the beer market. These are Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller. Heineken International is Carlsberg. They owe you a huge thank-you! The largest brewery in Belgium is Anheuser-Busch InBev, followed by Carlsberg Group from Denmark.
Let’s get to work. Breweries can be classified according to their production capacity and brewing style. They can be very small or very large, traditional or innovative, and they may also fall under the umbrella of non-traditional. Although this classification can vary from one region to another, we will attempt to define some generally accepted terms.
Nano brewery
Although we should have started with Microbrewery, we felt it was more appropriate to start with Nanobrewery instead as it is the smallest type. A Nanobrewery is a producer of nano brews in small batches, though not strictly. It is often referred to as a “Craft brewery”.
Microbrewery
Microbreweries tend to be small and independent. One person might hold 90% or more of the shares. To meet local demand, they generally produce small quantities (usually less than 15,000 barrels per year). Although a Microbrewery is not necessarily a craft brewery, it can be an indicator of adaptability, flexibility and innovation. Microbreweries place a lot of emphasis on quality, flavour, and brewing style.
Craft breweries
Craft breweries have been mentioned many times before. Let’s talk about them a bit more before we move on. Although Craft breweries are fairly new, most Nano and Microbreweries are included in this category. A Craft brewery or Artisan brewery can be described as a brewery whose beer is influenced by traditional or innovative brewing methods and fermentation. A single owner holds more than 75% of the stakes. Craft brewers are known for their innovation. They bring new life to old styles and create something distinctive.
Brewpub
Brew and pub is an abbreviation for brew and pub. It combines the ideas of a beer brewery and a pub. If you produce and sell your beverages from the same location, you’re operating a Brewpub. Breweries that sell more than 75% of their beer off-site are called craft breweries or microbreweries.
Farm brewery
A Farm Brewery, also known as a Farmhouse brewery, brews beer on a farm. This term has been used for centuries because it was easier to produce beer when the necessary ingredients, such as crops or fruits, were easily available. This beer was usually brewed to be distributed among workers. However, it also had its connoisseurs who created unusual flavours. Farmhouse brewery is a term that has expanded beyond its original meaning. Ingredients are now grown on farms to create beverages with their unique flavour.
This is not all there is to it regarding the different types of breweries. There are terms such as Regional breweries – breweries with a fixed geographic location, contract brewing – beer produced for another brewery, Gypsy Brewing – hiring another brewery to make one’s beer temporarily (mostly for a one-off occasion), etc.
We have not yet discussed Macro breweries, large corporate breweries that control nearly all beer markets. We will be discussing macro breweries in more detail in future posts. This is because we will be discussing their architectural styles, main areas and processes, and some amazing brewery designs from around the globe. Please keep your eyes open and keep waiting for more information from us.