Calls to action continue to grow in the craft brewing community to clarify who the craft brewers are in the market. Beer lovers know that there have been a number of deals struck where big brewers have bought out small brewers, but they may not know for sure which companies are independent craft brewers.
Research shows that some beer drinkers don’t care if their beer is from a small, independent brewer; some might care, but don’t know which companies are craft brewers; and some people care a lot and want to know who is independent. Now is the time for craft brewers to help beer lovers easily see who is crafting.
To provide beer lovers with the information many seek, we are pleased to launch the Independent Craft Brewers Seal. The video below shows the outline of the project. The Brewers Association will authorize the use of this seal to brewers who meet the Brewers Association definition of craft brewer.
We encourage adoption of the art among independent craft brewers for packaging, bottle and can labels, faucet handles, menus, windows, websites, social media posts and elsewhere. We have written acknowledgment from the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) that a Revised Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) will not be required for label changes where the addition of the Independent Craft Brewer Seal is the only substantial change. Brewers who incorporate the seal will receive a copy of this acknowledgment for their records.
We hope beer distributors and retailers will also support independent craft brewers by working with the Brewers Association to achieve this simple yet impactful seal in the public eye. Watch the video for more information.
Get the seal illustration
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