The Brewers Association has officially declared May 13 – 19, 2013 as the eighth annual American Craft Beer Week (ACBW). All across the country special events will celebrate America’s vibrant and growing craft beer scene. Seattle Beer Week, our local celebration of craft beer, stretches from May 9 through May 19. We are not alone. Last year, ACBW was celebrated by breweries, brewpubs and retailers in all 50 states with over 1,300 official events. More than 35,000 beer lovers (now up to more than 45,000) were part of the Facebook community alone.
American Craft Beer Week provides beer geeks an excuse to celebrate the fact that there are now more than 2,300 craft breweries in the United States. Here in Seattle and across the Pacific Northwest, where we drink a higher percentage of craft beer than any other region in America, we do not really need an excuse to celebrate craft beer.
Around here, brewery tours, beer festivals, beer dinners, brewers night celebrations, collaboration beers, and special tasting events are year-round occurrences. Still, ACBW is important. In many other parts of the country the public still needs to learn about craft beer; they need to know that craft beer exists. ACBW provides an opportunity for craft beer to get some attention.
The media loves a story. Craft beer is not a story; American Craft Beer Week is a story. It sound silly, but if you want to promote something, you need something to promote.
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Locally, Seattle Beer Week sprawls out across ten delicious days from May 9 through May 10. They call it “a brewer’s week,” which is something like a baker’s dozen, only different. The first Seattle Beer Week took place in 2009. For more information, check out the official website and/or follow Seattle Beer Week on Facebook.
Seattle is not alone. Many cities across the nation have their own local beer weeks. Many coincide with American Craft Beer Week. Ever abiding to the beat of a different drum, Portland celebrates its PDX Beer Week in June. Equally independent, San Francisco Beer Week is currently underway.
From the Brewers Associatoin:
May 13-19, 2013: American Craft Beer Week
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WHAT: For the eighth consecutive year, the Brewers Association has declared American Craft Beer Week® (ACBW), a celebration of U.S. craft brewers across the country. Last year, ACBW was celebrated by breweries, brewpubs and retailers in all 50 states with over 1,300 official events. More than 35,000 beer lovers (now up to more than 45,000) were part of the Facebook community alone, undoubtedly making 2012 the largest celebration of ACBW yet.
From May 13-May 19, the tradition will continue and ACBW will provide an opportunity for small and independent brewers, craft beer enthusiasts and the community of better beer retailers to celebrate the ever advancing beer culture here in the U.S. Events will include exclusive brewery tours, special beer releases, multi-course food and pairing dinners, collaboration beers, retail promotions and much more.
WHEN: Monday, May 13 – Sunday, May 19, 2013
WHERE: Visit the official American Craft Beer Week events calendar, hosted by CraftBeer.com, for a full list of local celebrations in all 50 states.
WHY: While there are an estimated 50 state and regional beer weeks throughout the year, ACBW celebrates the amalgamation of these events, offering craft beer fans everywhere options to learn about, enjoy and share the beverage they love. This comes at a time when America’s craft beer industry is thriving, with over 2,300 small and independent breweries responsible for not only advancing the food arts world, but pouring money into the economy via tourism and jobs while creating an overall vibrant craft beer scene nationwide. America’s craft brewers are certainly something to celebrate.
