The US Brewers Association has launched a new seal to inform consumers which beers are made by independent craft brewers and which come from ‘big beer’.
Featuring a beer bottle shape flipped upside down, the seal aims to remove confusion among beer drinkers.
The Brewers Association – a non-profit trade group that promotes and protects small and independent craft brewers – said that these breweries run their businesses ‘free of influence from other alcohol beverage companies’.
The initiative is particularly targeted at millennials, who the organisation claims expect transparency when it comes to their food and beverages.
Brewers Association president and CEO Bob Pease said: “As big beer acquires former craft brands, beer drinkers have become increasingly confused about which brewers remain independent.
“Beer lovers are interested in transparency when it comes to brewery ownership. This seal is a simple way to provide that clarity—now they can know what’s been brewed small and certified independent.”
The seal is free to use for any of the more than 5,300 small and independent American craft brewers that have a valid TTB Brewer’s Notice, meet the BA’s craft brewer definition, and sign a license agreement. It is available to both member and non-member breweries of the BA.
Rob Tod, who sits on the Brewers Association board of directors, believes that independent brewers help build local communities in the US.
“When beer lovers buy independent craft beer, they are supporting American entrepreneurs and the risk takers who have long strived not just to be innovative and make truly great beer, but to also build culture and community in the process,” he said.
The Brewers Association claimed that small and independent brewers represent 99% of the breweries in the US but make up 12% of beer sold in the country. The rest comes from big beer and imported brands.
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