small beer

"Small beer" refers to a weak or inferior alcoholic beverage, or metaphorically, something of little importance. Historically, in Britain, it was the weakest extract from a batch of malt, with the first and strongest extract yielding "strong beer". The term dates back to at least the 15th century and was used by Shakespeare in his plays to denote insignificance. This contrasts with modern "craft beer," which is produced by small, independent breweries focusing on diverse and distinctive flavors, often in limited quantities. The American craft beer revolution, beginning in the 1960s, saw a resurgence of small-scale brewing in response to the dominance of large corporations.12345