Independent Craft Brewer Supporter Seal introduced

The Brewers Association (BA) announced on January 29, 2019 the creation of a new seal exclusively for supporters of the independent U.S. craft brewing movement.

The supporter seal – which emulates the independent craft brewer seal for U.S. craft breweries – is available to any champions of independent craft breweries including retailers, distributors, homebrew shops, state brewers guilds, festivals, websites and allied trade companies, and can be accessed on a newly launched website, SupportIndependentBeer.com. Here supporters can find assets for activation, information and history about the independent craft brewer seal, and “Is It a Craft Brewery?”, a comprehensive, searchable database of all U.S. breweries that identifies which breweries meet the Brewers Association craft brewer definition.

Independent Craft Brewer Supporter Seal

“While small and independent breweries work heavily to promote their craft, they also rely on a layered group of partners to proudly sell, serve and showcase their beer. These beer community stakeholders have asked for ways to support the independent craft brewer seal, and now they can,” said Julia Herz, craft beer program director, Brewers Association.

The independent craft brewer seal was launched by the BA on June 27, 2017, as a tool to minimize confusion in the marketplace and clearly identify beers from small and independent U.S. breweries. Today, more than 4,000 craft brewing companies have adopted the seal, representing more than 85 percent of the volume of craft beer brewed.

In a recent Nielsen survey, 40 % of people said the seal would make them “more” or “much more” likely to buy that beer – a 5 % increase from the previous year. That number jumps to 57 percent for craft beer lovers 21-34 (up from 45 % a year ago), with 23 % stating it would make them “much more” likely to purchase.

“Many beer lovers have their eyes – and wallets – open to seek the seal,” added Herz. “From printing it on menus or grouping independent craft beers together at retail, to prominent signage at beer festivals, now is a great time for supporters to put the seal in play and help advance the beverage of beer.”