Independent Craft Brewer Seal

[Talgrath]

So, with the wave of acquisitions by everyone's hated foes such as InBev, there's a new way to tell if a brewer hasn't "sold out" yet, a special seal on their six packs and bottles.

Independent Craft Brewers Seal

There is some licensing fees involved, so not every independent will have the seal, but (at least in theory) every bottle or can you buy with the seal is from an independent craft brewer. What do you guys think? Would it make you more likely to buy from these guys? I keep pretty good tabs on the industry so I'm usually aware of who isn't independent anymore and who is, but it's nice to be able to just visually inspect the packaging to confirm my knowledge.

 

[rippajak]

I fully support this move by the BA. Like you, I try to keep myself aware of who owns what, but this will make things much clearer on store shelves. More importantly, it is the first step in an awareness campaign targeted toward craft beer consumers who are not as aware of what is going on behind the scenes. Bringing the acquisitions and shadow ownership into the public light is a huge step forward in preserving the craft beer industry.

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

I fully support it. But if it's a required licensing fee then it's going to completely countermand what they're trying to do.
So only those craft brewers that can afford to pay will get the logo.

But the bigger problem is this:
I used to work for a craft brewer. They had to bulk order their 6pk holders, cases, and labels to get the best deal.
There were enough of these for about 2 years worth of brewing stored in the warehouse.

Even if the craft brewer did pay the licensing fee, they wouldn't be able to implement it for quite a while.

So if other craft breweries are anything like the one I worked at, then this will be a common problem.

 

[Denny]

So, with the wave of acquisitions by everyone's hated foes such as InBev, there's a new way to tell if a brewer hasn't "sold out" yet, a special seal on their six packs and bottles.

Independent Craft Brewers Seal

There is some licensing fees involved, so not every independent will have the seal, but (at least in theory) every bottle or can you buy with the seal is from an independent craft brewer. What do you guys think? Would it make you more likely to buy from these guys? I keep pretty good tabs on the industry so I'm usually aware of who isn't independent anymore and who is, but it's nice to be able to just visually inspect the packaging to confirm my knowledge.

There are no licensing fees. It's free to use as long as you meet the definition of independent.