Answer the question first
Search-led guides open with a direct answer. The rest of the article adds the context, comparisons, caveats, and next decisions that make the answer useful.
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How we work
Useful opinions need visible standards.
Craft Beer Critics combines primary sources, plain-language beer education, and independent editorial judgment. This page explains what readers should expect from every guide, review, and field note.
The standard
Clear enough to check.
Use the strongest available source
We prefer original observations and primary references from breweries, the Brewers Association, BJCP, Cicerone, universities, and public agencies. Community discussion helps us find questions and lived experience, not replace technical evidence.
Separate evidence from opinion
Facts receive sources. Taste and judgment are labeled as editorial conclusions. We do not turn preference into a universal rule or claim expertise we have not earned.
Show the method
When we compare beers, taprooms, or community responses, we explain what was considered, what was not tested, and the limits of the conclusion. Original checklists are meant to help readers make their own decision.
Review and independence
The brewery does not get the last edit.
Technical brewing claims are checked against named primary or specialist sources. When a qualified brewer or specialist reviews a claim, we identify that contribution. A source can correct a fact, but it does not control the conclusion.
Complimentary products, hosted visits, affiliate relationships, sponsorships, and other material connections are disclosed where they affect the work. Payment does not guarantee coverage or a positive opinion.
Original evidence
What counts as ours.
- Named tasting notes with the product and conditions disclosed.
- Dated taproom observations and original photography.
- Recorded brewer or specialist interviews.
- Community findings with the question, dates, response count, method, and limitations.
- Craft Beer Critics checklists and decision tools readers can test for themselves.
Corrections and questions
Tell us what needs another look.
Send the article URL, the passage in question, and the source or firsthand context we should review. Confirmed factual corrections are made in the article and reflected in its updated date. Substantive changes may receive an editor’s note.
Message Craft Beer Critics
Use Instagram to send correction requests, source notes, disclosure questions, and pitches. A response or publication is not guaranteed.