The main risk of a rise in the price of a pint will not be caused by the increase in the cost of the ingredients for so-called craft beers, but by the use of the term “craft beer” itself (Craft beer industry over a Brexit-shaped barrel, 31 January; Letters, 1 February). There is no adequate definition of the term; it is merely a name dreamed up by the marketing people.
One of our larger independent brewers has recently pointed out in its advertising that it was brewing craft beer before craft beer was invented. What the term means in reality is an increase of about 50% over the price of equivalent cask-conditioned beers or “real ales”. My local pub is well known for its range of real ales, but has now jumped on the craft beer bandwagon. On one occasion recently, a respected real ale was offered alongside the very same beer marketed as “craft”, the latter costing about £1.50 a pint more.
The media should be very wary of joining in the increasingly widespread fashion for promoting craft beer, unless they wish to see substantial price increases for all beers, leading inevitably to the closure of even more pubs.
Bob Proctor
Nottingham
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters
