Craftbeer
Craft beers
are speciality beers that come from a craft brewery or microbrewery. While
large, commercial breweries focus mainly on large production, craft breweries
have more room to experiment with flavours. The result is an extensive and
diverse range, in which you are bound to find your taste. Craft beers are
also known for being local and sustainable.
Discover
craft beers from well-known Belgian microbreweries such as Galea Craft
Beers, Enigma Brewery and Brussels Beerproject in Belgian Beer Heaven's
webshop. Add your craft beer to your shopping basket, order easily online and
count on a 100% insured and fast delivery. Questions about your choice or your
order? Contact us,
we will happily provide the answer.
The history of craft beer
The term "craft beer" emerged in 1978 in the United States. At the time, President Jimmy Carter signed a law that made home brewing of alcoholic beverages legal again, lifting a ban that had been in place since the Prohibition era. From 1920 to 1933, it was illegal in the U.S. to produce, transport, or sell alcohol.
After Prohibition, the few remaining breweries produced mass quantities of lager. The Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco was the exception, first with California steam beer, later with porters, barley wines, and IPAs. Their example inspired others, especially after the home brewing ban was lifted. The new microbreweries drew much of their inspiration from imported beers, particularly Belgian beers.
The definition of craft beer
A craft beer is brewed in a microbrewery. But what is a microbrewery? In the Netherlands, this definition is strictly established by CRAFT, the trade association of craft brewers in the country. A microbrewery must meet these four criteria:
- Independence: at least 75% of the shares are owned by the craft brewer.
- Authenticity: the brewery produces beer without dilution and avoids cheaper ingredients like corn and rice to cut costs.
- Transparency: customers are informed about the origin of both the ingredients and the beer itself.
- Limited volume: the brewery produces no more than 1 million hectoliters of beer per year.
For comparison: the Palm Belgian Craft Brewers group, which includes Palm, Rodenbach, and Cornet, is at the 1 million hectoliter limit, while Duvel Moortgat slightly exceeds it with 1.2 million hectoliters. 1 million hectoliters is a generous limit, but it’s stricter than in the U.S., where a brewery can produce up to 7.2 million hectoliters annually and still be considered a microbrewery. This is roughly equivalent to Belgium’s total annual beer consumption.
Wide selection of craft beer at Belgian Beer Heaven
No Belgian beer heaven would be complete without Belgian craft beers. Here you’ll find delicious craft beers from renowned Belgian microbreweries, such as Galea Craft Beers from Brasschaat, Enigma Brewery from Heusden-Zolder, Brussels Beer Project, Alken-Maes breweries with their four Belgian locations, and North Antwerp Brewery. Choose the craft beer you want to try or your favorite, add it to your shopping cart, and order quickly and easily online. We guarantee fast and 100% insured delivery. Questions? Contact Belgian Beer Heaven, and we’ll be happy to assist you with expertise and care.
