American Craft Beer Week
Throughout each year, beer weeks that celebrate the culture and community of craft brewers are happening across the US. One can quickly search ‘beer week’ on the Internet to get a multitude of options. The Brewers Association is happy to assemble American Craft Beer Week, the mother of all beer weeks, each May. This celebration, coordinated by the Craft Beer Program, is an exciting opportunity for craft brewers to commemorate their art and tradition with enthusiasts across the country .
“If you believe that your inalienable rights include 'life, liberty and the pursuit of hops and malts fermented from the finest of US small and independent craft brewers,' then you need not wait until July 4 to celebrate your independence.”
LA Times-Daily Dish Blog May 2009
Retail Resources
History of American Craft Beer Week
In 2006, the Brewers Association American Beer Month, which was traditionally in July, was changed to be a weeklong coordinated effort timed before the busy summer beer season. One week's worth of national activities was found to be more manageable and thus more effective. Plus, the term ‘craft’ was added to the title in order to dial in the focus of the events. This week became the largest national effort focusing on American craft beer and remains so today.
Numbers that show the increase in interest both from breweries and beer lovers are as follows:
- 124 breweries posted events in 2006 the year it changed to American Craft Beer Week.
- 150 breweries participated in 2007
- 168 breweries participated in 2008
- 212 brewery members participated in 2009 posting over 500 individual events into the Brewers database which is the official event database for American Craft Beer Week.
2009 Declaration of Beer
Independence
Plus, more than 10,000 fans in three months time signed the Declaration of Beer Independence (PDF file) on the Facebook page with even more people signing individual posters in breweries across the US.
The American Craft Beer Week Web site is full of information for Brewers Association members to tie-into this program. Please consider participating.
