Craft brewers launch independence seal
Independence seals are gaining ground around the world. During EurHop Rome Beer Festival, Unionbirrai, which represents Italian craft brewers, introduced a seal which is to protect true Italian craft and independent breweries.
The news was shared by other craft brewers’ associations, including the IBA of Australia.
In just over twenty years more than 700 independent craft breweries have appeared in the Italian beer market. For beer lovers, these must have been the most exciting years in Italian brewing history.
Although craft brewers have failed so far to capture a big chunk of the market – their market share is well under 5 percent – their growth has not gone unnoticed by the Big Brewers. In an effort to catch up with craft beer, they have taken to producing beers which imitate craft products, the so called “crafty beers”, thereby confusing consumers. What is more, they have also acquired craft breweries, causing the lines between genuine craft brewers and ex-craft brewers to blur.
Now Unionbirrai has launched the trademark Independent Artisanal Unionbirrai guarantee, a logo that will appear on the labels of independent craft breweries.
It allows Italian craft brewers to finally and clearly communicate their independence directly to consumers.
“We are totally aligned with the other countries that already have this initiative in place: the USA, UK, Australia, France and Ireland,” said Unionbirrai’s General Manager Vittorio Ferraris. “Independence is the true hallmark of Italian craft beers.”
Meanwhile, craft brewers associations from several European countries, representing over 2,000 craft breweries combined, are working towards establishing a European-wide independent beer industry association, to protect this global phenomenon.
