Craft Beer has Given a Platform to the Inclusive Art of Our Age

The craft beer scene is personified not just by the unique flavor of its brews, but the creative art on its bottles too. The nature of craft beer design has always been a creative one, according to The Irish Times, and this has precipitated a wave of creative art that not only seeks to flaunt the artistic origins of beer, but to communicate tales of the people and communities involved in the beer making process and everything that came before it. This rich history is seen throughout the history of craft beer right up to the modern day.

Relaxed beginnings

The joy of craft beer comes in the fact that anyone can brew it, bottle or can it, and create their own graphics for it. Since the micro-brewing trend grew out of the UK and USA in the 1970s, amateurs putting their hands to work has always been a theme. In those early days, micro-brewers would create their own designs from memory or resources available at the time; today, the internet provides the tools that anyone needs to draw their own designs, with simplicity always best – abstract art and simple designs of animals are often popular in craft beer. Take the ever-excellent Black Wolf Brewery, for example, which uses a simple design, representing the humble origins of craft brewing. Nowhere has this business taken off as much as it has in Germany, where artists regularly build their trade using beer as a medium according to AmEx Essentials.

Expressing creativity

This creative edge has, in recent years, given rise to beer becoming a highly-regarded drink, such as is the reputation of wines and other beverages. Previously, beers had been considered a largely lowbrow affair, even if with some distinctions between countries. This enhanced reputation has given the craft beer scene a reputation as one of artistic innovation, and you can now even find craft beer that have fine art on the label, created by up-and-coming designers. Even more exciting is the fact that many brewers are now using their craft beer to tell a story.

According to the UK’s Guardian newspaper, craft beer is now a cutting edge in art when it concerns social movements. Craft beer has gone from being a male-dominated arena to one that welcomes people from every demographic and background. This has allowed tales to be told through craft beer. The advent of smart tech has allowed designers to seamlessly implement features such as QR codes into their beer and emulate the likes of 19 Crimes, the hit wine brand that would literally tell a story through its innovative smartphone app. Tales of where a beer comes from and the culture and history of its brewers can be told entirely through the unique wrappers around every bottle, creating an exciting and innovative environment.

From the backyards and sheds of home brewers to the micro-operations seen today, craft beer has taken off. It has taken artwork with it, creating a wonderful creative atmosphere in which no story is too small to tell. Take an extra look at your bottle wrapper next time you’re trying a new brew.