Craft beer has its own set of quotable figures, people who actually built the industry rather than internet quote pages inventing lines for them. Here are the real ones, plus a set of toasts for your next tasting flight.
Real quotes from craft beer figures
“Relax. Don’t worry. Have a homebrew.”
— Charlie Papazian, founder of the American Homebrewers AssociationHis trademark line from The Complete Joy of Home Brewing (1984), still the unofficial motto of homebrewing.
“So popular is beer, the world’s best-selling alcoholic drink, that it is often taken for granted. Yet scientific analysis shows that a glass of beer has within it as many aromas and flavors as fine wine.”
— Michael Jackson, beer and whisky writer (not the singer)From his beer writing; Jackson is widely credited with popularizing serious beer criticism in the 1970s-80s.
“Nothing quenches the thirst like a wheat beer, or sharpens the appetite like an India pale ale.”
— Michael Jackson, beer and whisky writer
Craft beer tasting toasts
FAQ
Did Charlie Papazian really say Relax, Don’t Worry, Have a Homebrew?
Yes. It is his well-documented catchphrase from his homebrewing books and the Smithsonian’s own history of American homebrewing credits it to him directly.
Who was Michael Jackson the beer writer?
A British journalist (1942-2007) who wrote extensively about beer and whisky and is often credited with popularizing serious beer criticism. He is not related to the musician of the same name.
Are there real quotes from famous craft brewery founders like Sam Calagione or Jim Koch?
Plenty exist in interviews and books, but they are usually specific and context-heavy rather than short quotable lines, so we focused this list on quotes that hold up as standalone quotes.
Quote attributions are checked where possible; several oft-repeated “beer quotes” online are misattributed or unverifiable, and we flag those rather than pass them off as fact.
