How to make independent craft beer mainstream
The very notion of the “Independent Craft” beer labeling movement was really exciting when it was first announced. The idea was that…
The very notion of the “Independent Craft” beer labeling movement was really exciting when it was first announced. The idea was that breweries could identify themselves as separate from Big Beer, and people who cared would be able to tell the difference. From the perspective of someone who truly would love to see independent craft thrive, the move seemed like a magic bullet.
Writing about it for the local paper at the time, I said choosing an independent craft beer doesn’t have the same meaning in people’s day to day lives as does, say, choosing a Ford over a Honda. People don’t think in terms of independence, only in terms of a beer’s attributes. That’s why morons and goof balls occasionally sue Big Beer for misrepresenting itself as ‘craft.’ These suits never go anywhere and only serve to further muddy the waters.
You see, Budweiser et al realized something critical about the craft beer movement. People like me who love to write about “Craft Beer” and brewers and their sales people and even casual reporters have been saying, “Drink Craft Beer” for the better part of the century. So much so that, in a moment of head-slapping clarity Budweiser fired its “High End” sales team. After all, why pay people to tout craft-y beers when in popular consciousness Goose Island, Blue Moon, and the like are in the craft beer category.
Brewers Association Asks Retailers to Adopt Indie Seal | Brewbound.com
The Brewers Association (BA) is doubling down on its efforts to help small breweries distinguish their brands from…www.brewbound.com
The Rise of Independent Craft Beer
That’s where the independent craft beer movement got its start, the realization that everyone in the industry essentially was a Budweiser salesperson. The Brewers Association made a push for people to start labeling their beers as “Independent Craft” and encouraged people to start speaking about it that way. They provided the art and even some stickers.
The BA also tried to get brewers and the general public excited about the movement, going so far as to make a highly publicized (and futile) attempt to buy Budweiser. It took about a year, but they succeeded in getting about half the independent breweries in the U.S. to adopt the seal. You wish it were more, but it could be worse.
The next move is apparently to get retailers on board, asking them to designate which beers are independent and which aren’t. I love the idea but it seems as if it is a bridge too far. Retailers are not the friends of independent craft beer. At least not the kind of friends who are going to make an effort to sell lower-margin independent beers over higher-margin offerings like 10 Barrel, or Lagunitas.
Moreover, after the herculean effort it took just to get some of these places to carry “craft beer” it’s really hard to imagine asking for independent craft beer in the same way. That is, getting enough people asking to make restaurants think they care feels a little futile, especially since people just do not care about independent beer.
People Don’t Care About Independence
Increasingly, though, it feels like the ins and outs of craft beer are too much for some people and that is going to have to be ok for awhile.
Lots of people have championed the notion of drinking local. For years we have suggested asking your server or bartender whether they know which beers are local. And it worked. Even places like Buffalo Wild Wings and Applebees make an effort to have local beer on tap. But, honestly, if you’re eating at a place like that, how big a deal is the notion of independent small business to you?
Moreover, and this is what’s critical, people were willing to see what all the fuss was about when they started trying out “craft beer.” But now, no one who doesn’t already care feels like they’re missing out on “independent beer.”
People have said, “I want to try one of those craft beers people keep talking about.” or “Maybe I’ll try one of those IPAs.” There was a new experience to be had, which made it worth people’s while to ask.
There is no new experience associated with independent craft beer. At least not a taste experience.
(PHOTOS) Seek the Independent Craft Brewer Seal
How can you tell if a beer is made by a U.S. craft brewer? Look for the independent craft brewer seal on the packaging…www.craftbeer.com
Craft Beer Famous
The second part of the push for getting independent craft beer into public consciousness is a lot more exciting. It’s also a long-game approach that could work much in the same way that asking for craft beer in restaurants and bars did. Essentially, it’s an Instagram promotion that gets people to post when they’re drinking an Independent Craft Beer.
This is the kind of thing that might get restaurants to add the seal to their ever-changing beer menus, or to get liquor stores and bars to make an “Independent” section a little easier to find. Plus, it gives people like me (and probably you) the opportunity to participate in promoting independent beer without having to sound like an utter douchebag who wants his food spat in:
“I’m sorry, do you have any independent craft beers on tap?”
It’s a great way of letting retailers and restaurants know that there are people who prefer to know where their beer is coming from. Just as with the original craft beer movement, it relies on people caring enough to get other people to care. Whether and how well it works remains to be seen, but these things can and should take time if they’re going to be sustainable.
I spoke with a bunch of brewers who were on the fence about the independent craft label last year. I worried that it would sputter out as every brewery waited to see if every other brewery would participate. It looks as if they could get to 75 percent participation before too long though and, once it hits a tipping point, craft beer enthusiasts can quit their jobs as Budweiser salesman and become independent craft beer enthusiasts.
Originally published at stateofthebeer.com on May 8, 2018.