Why Craft Culture Doesn’t Resonate with Gen Z
New generations are approaching beer differently. Here’s why — and how to navigate the choice.
Seven years ago, the first members of Generation Z reached the legal drinking age. Since then, anyone working in the craft beer world has had to face an uncomfortable question: why doesn’t craft resonate with them?
The most obvious answers — less money in their pockets, greater focus on well-being, fewer social occasions, and a preference for RTDs and ready-to-drink cocktails — explain only part of the phenomenon. Something deeper is at play: a cultural disconnect between the traditional values of craft beer and Gen Z’s worldview.
Harry Potter, Bart Simpson, and Craft Beer
To understand why craft culture took hold so strongly among Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996), it is worth looking at the entertainment that shaped them. Harry Potter was not just a character: he was a symbol of personal agency, growth, and creative rebellion. These themes appear consistently in craft beer’s narrative — small batch as an act of resistance to the mainstream, beer as self-expression, and the search for a rare style as a personal adventure.
Millennials believed in it, and saw themselves reflected in that culture.
Gen X, by contrast, had Bart Simpson: irreverent, lazy, and openly a “proud underachiever.” And it is no coincidence that their dominant beer brand was Bud Light, built on advertising campaigns that celebrated uncomplicated fun.
Gen Z? It has not yet found its definitive archetype. But the signals are telling us something specific.
The Locus of Control Problem
Journalist Louise Perry, in an op-ed for The New York Times, observed that the Harry Potter saga does not resonate with Gen Z: 18% of the reboot’s 2016 audience was under 18, compared with a majority over 25 (Millennials). Younger Gen Z consumers even tend to make fun of thirtysomething Millennials for their attachment to the Hogwarts wizard.
According to Perry, the reason is structural: Gen Z grew up after the 2008 financial crisis, during a period of wage stagnation, political instability, and profound uncertainty. Unlike Millennials — who grew up in a relatively optimistic climate — they perceive their lives as controlled by external forces, rather than by their own choices.
In psychology, this is called an external locus of control. And it has been measured: the study Grit and Optimism Among Millennials and Gen Z by Christina Elson and Kylie King (Wake Forest University) confirmed that:
- 72% of Millennials believe their lives are determined by their own actions (internal locus), compared with 61% of Gen Z
- 50% of Gen Z believe that what happens in their lives depends mainly on powerful people (external locus), compared with 41% of Millennials
- Millennials also surpass Gen Z in self-efficacy (66% vs. 54%) and optimism (57% vs. 48%)
This is not an abstract sociological detail. It is why values such as “self-expression through work” and “creative rebellion” — pillars of craft culture — struggle to gain traction with a generation that does not feel powerful enough to change things.
Three Cultural Trends That Are Changing
1. Openness to new experiences → Seeking comfort
Millennials embraced variety: extreme styles, high ABV, barrel aging, sour, and wild ale. It was part of the growth journey. Gen Z, by contrast, tends to prefer predictability: lager, Pilsner, and familiar styles. It is not laziness — it is a way of managing uncertainty by seeking comfort in what is already known.
👉 For those who want to explore without taking risks: our selection of Pilsner and classic craft beers is the ideal starting point. Clean, approachable beers that are anything but ordinary.
2. Self-expression through work → Economic stability as a priority
Millennials sought jobs that reflected their values. Gen Z is more pragmatic: it wants financial security, leaving less mental space to identify with narratives of “craft rebellion.” Craft beer needs to find new ways to talk about itself — less founder romanticism, more substance and authenticity.
3. Creative rebellion → Rebellion against injustice
Gen Z has a strong sense of social justice. 57% say they buy products that support causes they believe in; 79% are loyal to brands that invest in the community (Kantar). Breweries that already support social or environmental causes would do well to make this more central to their identity — not as marketing, but as an authentic stance.
What This Means for Those Choosing Craft Beer Today
If you are a craft beer enthusiast — Millennial or Gen Z — this analysis does not change the fact that quality is quality. What changes is the way people approach the choice.
If you are looking for comfort and familiarity, start with well-executed classic styles. If you want to explore, do it with guidance — and that is what we are here for.
👉 Discover our curated selection of Italian craft beers — detailed product information, clear descriptors, and no unpleasant surprises.
In Conclusion
Craft culture has not lost its value. It needs to evolve in its language, not in its substance. Less Harry Potter, more substance. Less “change the world with a beer,” more “this beer makes you feel good, right now, right here.”
And for anyone who wants to choose that beer well — craft, Italian, and carefully selected — Maltese is the right place.
Sources: “Grit and Optimism Among Millennials and Gen Z,” Dr. Christina Elson & Dr. Kylie King, Wake Forest University; Louise Perry, The New York Times; “Craft Brewing and the Evolution of American Culture,” The New Brewer, 2018.
