GABF Trade Mission Recap

In October, the Export Development Program (EDP) completed another successful reverse trade mission to the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), bringing together 20 importer contacts from 15 companies across nine countries—including the United Kingdom, Italy, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, the Dominican Republic, China, Denmark, and Canada. These importers met with 24 EDP member brewery representatives, resulting in more than 100 meetings and early indications of both meaningful new business and opportunities to engage with existing international partners.

GABF also offered valuable engagement beyond formal meetings. EDP staff connected with international judges, beer writers, and social media influencers to generate future promotional projects, while discussions with member breweries provided insights that will guide EDP priorities in the year ahead.

Overall, this year’s inbound mission delivered strong value for participants and reinforced the program’s record of helping member breweries secure new or expanded international placements. Both importers and brewery representatives reported productive conversations that signal promising outcomes.

The EDP extends its appreciation for another successful GABF importer mission and looks forward to welcoming members to the next inbound trade mission during the Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia, April 20–22, 2026.

Driving Momentum for American Craft Beer in Sweden

For more than 20 years, the Brewers Association’s Export Development Program has worked to strengthen the presence and performance of American craft beer in Sweden—now the second-largest European destination for U.S. exports. This October, the EDP returned to Stockholm to continue that work through a coordinated program centered on an American craft beer pavilion featuring 16 member breweries at the Stockholm Beer & Whiskey Festival. The visit brought nine brewery representatives together for trade meetings, a targeted media beer-and-food pairing, and the release of a U.S.-focused special edition of Sweden’s national brewing magazine—all designed to reinforce U.S. craft beer’s leadership in innovation and quality while deepening relationships with the local trade and Systembolaget.

Read all about this year’s efforts in Sweden.

Southeast Asia Marketing Update

Exciting developments are underway in Southeast Asia, where 2025 marked the Brewers Association’s first coordinated year of activity in a region long dominated by Australian, New Zealand, European, and Japanese imports. Working with Beer Asia—our local partners with deep roots and strong craft beer credentials—the EDP launched foundational efforts to build awareness and open new opportunities for U.S. craft beer. An initial sample shipment representing 16 EDP members supported a series of trade shows, retail pilots, culinary collaborations, and consumer festivals across Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, giving American craft beer its broadest regional exposure to date. Early responses from importers, retailers, and media have been strongly positive, with growing interest from premium retail channels such as Tops and Villa Market in Thailand, FairPrice in Singapore, and QRA Foods in Malaysia. These encouraging signals, combined with Southeast Asia’s young, fast-urbanizing population and evolving F&B landscape—as well as favorable economic conditions and potential trade improvements—underscore the region’s significant long-term growth potential for U.S. craft beer. A few updates since our Q3 report:

Brewnanza Singapore:

The 2025 Brewnanza Beer Festival at Marina Bay Sands offered a major platform for expanding U.S. craft beer visibility in Singapore, one of Asia’s most influential premium markets. Working alongside Beer Asia, the EDP used the festival as a hub for trade engagement, market tours, tastings, and masterclasses—including a culinary-focused session led by EDP Ambassador Adam Dulye—all of which helped strengthen relationships with leading local trade such as TSA Wines, Beerstyle, Smith Street Taps, GULP, Drinkery, Eastern Craft, and Bad Decisions. The American Craft Beer booth drew thousands of consumers and strong importer interest, supported by extensive media amplification from festival organizers, major outlets like Channel NewsAsia, top influencers, and lifestyle and industry publications across the region. This activity delivered strong exposure for U.S. craft beer and reinforced Singapore’s growing appetite for high-quality American offerings—insights that will guide continued engagement in the market and the broader Southeast Asia region.

Events in Malaysia:

The Beer Asia team operated the next steps in the EDP’s Southeast Asia promotional calendar with September visits to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for two separate events. Both were successful, generating strong enthusiasm as conversations with importers and consumers alike expressing excitement about the excellent slate of U.S. craft beers on offer. While trade barriers and structural challenges remain, EDP came away from this work highly encouraged to continue developing the market.

• Discover American Craft Beer at House of Hops: Two sold-out events were held at the House of Hops, drawing in 33 guests on the first day and 32 on the second, surpassing the daily target of 30 both days. Guests were offered nine different beers in each 2.5-hour session, in which they were highly engaged and demonstrated a clear desire to learn more. Notably, this two-day event represented the first multi-brewery craft beer tasting in Malaysia.  
• Kura’s Backyard BBQ: the EDP participated in an outdoor consumer festival, complete with live music, food stalls, and beer stations: a perfect environment for promoting U.S. craft beer. Attendance likely exceeded 500, and more than 900 liters of beer across 46 SKUs were consumed. The event generated significant exposure through strong social media coverage, which served to further reinforce U.S. craft beer as the premium option for beer among Malaysian consumers.

Stay tuned for announcements regarding a sample shipment to supply 2026 promotions in the Southeast Asia region.

EDP Funds Retail Promotions in South Korea and Canada

In recent years, the EDP has focused some of its promotional attention on working with importers in support of retail activations for member breweries. These programs build familiarity for consumers through engaging displays and sampling opportunities, which drives demand and boosts sales to the benefit of both importers and breweries alike. Recently, EDP implemented retail promotions in South Korea and in Canada.

South Korea:

In August, EDP worked with a local importer to conduct a multifaceted promotion with the Hyundai department store chain in Seoul. Most notably, this program featured a Hawaiian-themed pop-up bar inside a department store, where attendees were able to sample a variety of U.S. craft beers. The events prompted favorable responses from participating consumers, who noted that they enjoyed the beers and were interested in trying them again. The importer also communicated that the event was a success on their end, with the additional revenue demonstrating strong sales viability to the retailer. Further activities are planned with the EDP’s importer partner, through GS25, a national convenience store brand, and with the high-end wine and beverage retail chain Wine & More.

Canada:

Currently, the province of Alberta represents one of the few channels in Canada still importing American alcohol, following the year’s ongoing trade dispute. Within that limited framework, the EDP is working with a Canadian importer to implement some small-scale retail and sampling promotions, on top of additional efforts to maintain strong relations with Canadian trade throughout the year. Tastings for a few different member breweries are to begin soon, along with signage and POS materials. While U.S.-Canadian relations are still tense, beer is a traditional favorite in both countries and serves as an effective connection point, making it an excellent conduit for rebuilding a positive image of U.S. products that will enable breweries to rebound with higher exports when conflicts ease.

U.S. Brewers Celebrate Big Wins in Europe Competitions

The EDP supported member participation in two major European competitions this fall—the European Beer Star and the Brussels Beer Challenge—covering entry fees and logistics. Many participating breweries earned medals and positive recognition, showcasing the quality of American craft beer and elevating its profile across international markets. These wins not only highlight the excellence of EDP members but also help position their beers more prominently with importers and consumers throughout Europe.

See this year’s winners.

Preview of 2026 Calendar

As 2025 winds down, the EDP team has begun laying the groundwork for 2026—shaping a robust lineup of expos, festivals, and other market development initiatives that will continue elevating U.S. craft beer on the global stage. Below you’ll find a preview of key dates and opportunities, and we look forward to connecting with you in the new year.

Event Name	Registration Deadline	2026 Event Date
Beer & Food Attraction Italy	December 17, 2025	February 15–17, 2026
Korea International Beer Expo	February 20, 2026	April 16–18, 2026
CBC 2026 Inbound Trade Mission	March 6, 2026	April 20–22, 2026
Australian International Beer Awards	March 13, 2026	May 5–8, 2026
U.S. Craft Beer Showcase – Southeast Asia	Q2 2026	Q3 2026
London Craft Beer Festival	May 2026	July 17–18, 2026
European Beer Star	June 2026	August (TBD)
GABF Inbound Trade Mission	August 2026	October 8–10, 2026
Stockholm Beer & Whiskey Festival	September 2026	October 23–25, 2026
Japan International Beer Cup	August 2026	October (TBD)
Brussels Beer Challenge	September 2026	November (TBD)
Japan ACBE Festival	September 2026	October / November (TBD)