Brewers Association Launches Independent Craft Brewer Seal Retail Program

Free point-of-sale materials designed to help customers identify independent craft beer

Boulder, Colo.—As beer lovers vote with their dollars to support independent brewers, the Brewers Association is equipping on- and off-premise retailers with free assets to activate the independent craft brewer seal and differentiate authentic independent craft beer from Big Beer acquired brands.

From better beer bars and restaurants to liquor and grocery stores, retailers interested in elevating how they promote independent craft beer can visit a new microsite launched today at BrewersAssociation.org/RetailerSealPOS. Here retailers can download point-of-sale materials that will allow them to directly support and call out independent craft beer to customers interested in supporting small, innovative businesses.

“Independence not only matters, it pays and rewards both retailers and beer lovers,” said Julia Herz, craft beer program director, Brewers Association. “Beer drinkers express that transparency and underlying ownership can drive their purchase intent. Data shows that independent craft outperforms Big Beer acquired brands on a number of metrics. There are many reasons for retailers to seal the deal to support and differentiate independent craft brewers at the point of purchase.”

According to a recent Nielsen study, independent craft reaches more people with a 24 percent higher household penetration than Big Beer acquired brands. More is spent on independent beer, with the purchase size for independent craft consumers 12 percent larger than the purchase size of Big Beer acquired brand consumers. Independent craft consumers purchase 43 percent more frequently per year compared to the consumers of Big Beer acquired brands.

Since its launch in June 2017, more than 3,200 small and independent craft breweries—representing more than 75 percent of independent craft volume—have adopted the seal, displaying it on packaging, in breweries, across websites, social channels and more. According to VinePair, “the Brewers Association’s seal could easily surpass the reach and impact of organic food labels.”

Contact: Abby Cohen (on behalf of the Brewers Association), 646-695-7044

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About the Brewers Association

The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 4,000-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup^®, Great American Beer Festival^®, Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America^®, SAVOR℠: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Homebrew Con, National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week^®. The BA publishes The New Brewer^® magazine, and Brewers Publications™ is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association and the free Brew Guru™ mobile app. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 11246 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.