Yorkshire Spirit: The Rise of Craft Alcohol

In August 2016, Stancill Brewery pioneered Sheffield’s first craft lager. This is just one example of how the craft alcohol industry in the UK has boomed in recent years.

In 2015 alone, the craft beer industry grew a total of 13%. Sheffield is now branded the “real ale capital of the world”. Steel City is now home to 57 independent breweries – 31 of which opened within the last five years.

But what explains this growth in the popularity of craft? What does this trend say about the changing culture of Yorkshire and the UK in general?

There is no limit to the range and diversity of craft ales, beers and lagers, that are now available from any high street supermarket.

For example, Five Wiers is a particularly fruity 4.0% from the House of Steel brewery, a reference to the industrial history of Sheffield. The label is basic, with a handmade feel. The text on the back of the bottle describes the city as containing “a plentiful supply of good brewing water and a thirsty, hard-working industrial workforce”.

The water is certainly a factor. According to Stancill’s website, the Peak District offers water that is “beautifully pure and soft”. Five Weirs, then, along with other leading craft beers from Yorkshire, combines the beauty and poetry of the English countryside, with the hard grit and manual labour that built this city.

Why Craft?

Craft beer unites all generations around values of small, local produce, that is ethical and passionate.

This can be seen as a return to the “good old days”, as well as a youthful rebellion against the commercialisation of Britain.

The IKEA Effect may also help explain the growing attraction for homemade alcohol. This is the cognitive bias that many people have towards the things that they have created themselves. For instance, a wardrobe bought from IKEA is not only a cheap and decent quality item, but it is also built by the buyer who feels a sense of achievement. This occurs even when the product has been badly constructed.

Similarly, craft beer is locally sourced and produced, helping buyers feel a genuine connection to the product. Pride of Sheffield may be a little pricier than your Carlsberg or your Foster’s, but it has a taste of home for the residents of South Yorkshire.

Wellbeing not Hedonism

For many, this represents a departure from the traditional British style of drinking.

As we enter the new year, it seems that the whole country has been having a few too many, leaving trails of vomit in the city streets. But craft beverages value quality over quantity and authentic experiences over material possessions.

There are hopes that the future of drinking culture, with government initiatives such as minimum unit pricing, will shift to something more purposeful and healthy. Along with growing trends such as minimalism, veganism and mindfulness, the rise of craft could mean the rise of increased mental and physical wellbeing.

Beyond the increase in independent breweries, home brewing beers and ales is inexpensive and rewarding. With no recorded cases of death due to contamination of beer, home brewing is a fully legal and cost effective hobby for many UK citizens.

Whilst the overall quality of the alcohol produced may be low, the hands on nature of the task leads to an increased sense of satisfaction with the finished product, much like the satisfaction of eating a home cooked meal.

What Next?

The craft beer industry has seen double figure growth for more than 7 years now, changing the make up of the industry. In a recent tweet, Goldman Sachs claimed that “Craft beer could be 20% of industry volume by 2020” in the USA. A similar trend is likely for the UK.

However, following an initial spurt, growth has remained stable for some time now. Instead, real exciting developments are happening in the world of craft spirits – think locally produced vodka, rum, gin and whisky.

Currently, Goldman Sachs reports that craft spirits account for around 2-3% of the total market. Nonetheless, the speed of growth is roughly that of the craft beer industry just 10-15 years ago, when independent breweries were beginning their revolution.

Leading the independent Yorkshire spirit uprising are the Whittakers, who control a family run business, producing small batches of carefully distilled gin from their handmade distillery in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire. Their artisan craft is self-described as “basic but functional”.

And this is the essence of craft, that is flourishing so perfectly in Yorkshire.

Alcohol had become a soulless, corporate industry, with an unreconcilable tension between racking up as many sales as possible, whilst claiming to care about the health and wellbeing of customers through the government’s drink aware campaign.

Craft beers and spirits take the most basic ingredients and equipment and produce something made with love and care. It is an exercise in artistic expression, with a blue collar heart and soul.

It is local and small scale, but conducive to wellbeing rather than wealth. And this is why the craft alcohol industry will continue to flourish in Yorkshire, the rest of the UK and globally.