Craft Brewery: Entrepreneurship between work, professionalism and passion

Abstract

The study analyses the construction of entrepreneurship among craft brewers, focusing on the interconnections between passion, learning, and professional trajectories in the craft economy. It aims to investigate how individuals develop brewing skills, delving into brewers’ learning and professional development and making decisions in a global context of new craft professions driven by autonomy and dedication to work. The study uses in-depth interviews, participant observation during brewery visits, festival attendance, and monitoring of social media posts. We explore individual journeys, analysing the tangible and affective dimensions of the work. We investigate the brewer's essential skills, the differences between craft and industrial beer, personal motivations, and what it means to be a ‘craftsman’.

Keywords

• craft brewers
• entrepreneurship
• professional passion
• craft work