Noble Brewer Makes Discovering Craft Beers Easier

Homebrewing beer is on the rise as a hobby, which means there are tons of craft beers most of us will never try due to regulations. I don’t know about you, but I feel I’m being cheated out of tasting some great craft beers.

To take a deeper look, according to the Homebrewers Association (yes this does exist), approximately 2 million barrels of beer were brewed by homebrewers in 2013. That sounds like a lot of beer, but in reality, it only represents 1% of the total U.S. production.

But think about it, that’s 2 million barrels of craft beer you won’t find in your local bar or grocery store because homebrewers can’t legally sell their beer. Sure, you could go around the country hitting all the homebrewing competitions, but that becomes a costly way to discover craft beers.

Thanks goodness for Noble Brewer, who is changing the homebrewing game and making it easier to discover craft beers.

Launched in April, Noble Brewer is the most unique beer club. What makes Noble Brewer different is that they are connecting with top-notch homebrewers and brewing their recipes on a larger scale and distributing to members on a quarterly basis.

What I love the most about Noble Brewer is that the story behind the homebrewers is just as important as the beer itself. Members are given access to exclusive content on everything from food parings, videos of homebrewers’ brew day to interviews. This added touch not only cultivates a community-like feeling, but also allows the homebrewers to showcase their artistry.

When I discovered Noble Brewer I instantly thought it was a brilliant idea, but I wanted to know more. Luckily, they are based in Oakland and I was able to sit down with Noble Brewer founder/CEO, Claude Burns, to find out what inspired him to go rogue.

What was the first beer you tried?

Budweiser

What beer made you fall in love with craft beers?

Stone Pale Ale

What was the inspiration behind Noble Brewer?

The main idea behind Noble Brewer was to find a way to connect homebrewers with craft beer fans. Initially the plan was to create this elaborate contest, but then we realized our idea was illegal and connecting craft beer lovers wasn’t worth going to jail.

Why do you see a need for this type of service?

There is no outlet on this level for homebrewers to share their creativity. Musicians have SoundCloud and YouTube. Artists have galleries, but outside of homebrewing competitions, homebrewers didn’t have a way to share and get feedback on their craft.

With Noble Brewer, members are given tasting cards with each shipment. This way they can give candid feedback to the homebrewers, who may want to open their own brewery one day.

Why Oakland for your headquarters?

We were looking for a city that had the right conditions for brewing, a good beer community and supportive regulations. We also wanted a city proud of itself and Oakland met our needs. Plus Oakland has an awesome mix of diversity and it’s not just a buzzword.

Does the quality of the homebrewing recipes change when producing on a larger scale?

The creative process does not get lost on a bigger scale. Like artisanal food, there is always a variance from batch to batch. The cool factor is making it legal for homebrewers to share their craft like great food.