Wikipedia:Notability (breweries)

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This page is a WikiProject essay on notability. It contains the advice and/or opinions of one or more WikiProjects on how they interpret notability within their area of expertise. It is not a policy or guideline, and editors are free to, but not obliged to follow it during XfD's.

WikiProjects are encouraged to write essays on notability that meet or exceed the expectations of notability or the applicable sub-guideline (BIO, ORG, NUMBER, ACADEMICS, and rest of the sub guidelines). Please update the page as needed, or discuss it on the talk page.
This page in a nutshell: Editors are encouraged to write about breweries initially in regional articles. Stub articles are not to be encouraged. A brewery defines itself as notable by the ability of an editor to write a full and meaningful article.

In Wikipedia:Places of local interest it is suggested that "An article about a place could be created if there's enough referenced information to make it encyclopedic. Otherwise, write the description to articles of parent areas."

This view is similar to that which members of the Wikipedia:WikiProject Beer came to during the discussion on the notability of breweries. That is:

  • Let anyone who wants to write a regional article go for it (it would give us a good idea for further discussion)
  • Let anyone who wants to write a full article for a given brewery go for it
  • Regional articles for minor breweries and stubs, and full articles for notable breweries.
  • Breweries mentioned in the regional articles that develop sufficiently to be spun off into their own articles.
  • Creating stand alone stub articles is not helpful to anyone.


The following proposal offers guideline criteria, as a tool to determine whether a particular brewery is a valid subject for an independent Wikipedia article.

Notable means "worthy of being noted" or "attracting notice". It is not synonymous with "fame". However, while large breweries are more likely to be notable; smaller breweries can be notable if there is enough of interest.


Contents

[edit] Background

Discussions that took place after a merge of Guinness the product into Guinness the brewery [1] established there there was a loose consensus that some beer brands, such as Guinness, should have articles separate from the brand holder or brewery. However, there is currently no agreed or proposed criteria.

[edit] Criteria for the notability of breweries and beers

A brewery or beer is notable if it meets any one of the following criteria:

  1. Is mentioned in at least two reliable published works (not directories).
  2. Is the main subject of at least one published work.
  3. Has a unique or rare feature.
  4. Is historically significant (e.g., the first brewery to brew Scotch Ale or American Pale Ale, or the first example of a Milk stout).
  5. The brewery building has some architectural importance.
  6. The brewer is notable (such as Bert Grant).
  7. One or more of the structures at the brewery is a listed building.
  8. That an editor is able to write a full article on the beer or brewery.

[edit] Notability tests

See also Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Precedents

The most popular test among editors for the notability of a topic is the "Google Test". This test is not seen as reliable by all editors. However, a brewery or beer that returns less than 100 hits may be unlikely to be notable.

A brewery or beer for which an editor is unable to write more than a stub (not including a list of beers or personal opinion on the flavour of a beer) is possibility not notable.

[edit] Suggested approach

Following a discussion, WikiProject Beer editors came to a loose consensus that:

  • Editors should be encouraged to create regional articles for breweries.
  • Editors should be encouraged to write full articles for breweries and beers rather than stubs.
  • Breweries mentioned in the regional articles that develop sufficiently to be spun off into their own full articles.
  • Stand alone stub articles on breweries are not to be encouraged, but nor are they to be discouraged. However, it would be more appropriate if brewery information was started in a regional article and only moved out into its own article when there is sufficient information for the article to stand by itself.
  • Beers should be written up as part of the brewery/company page, as WP:PRODUCT, unless shown to be notable; in which case the brewery's products should be broken out from the brewery/company article in summary style.

Following this approach, a brewery defines itself as notable by the ability of an editor to write a full and meaningful article supported by appropriate reference to reliable sources.