Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American craft beer ambassador for Europe, looks at the latest in pairing perfection — beer and bank holidays!
Photograph: Brewers Association
The month of May presents two key occasions for getting together with family and friends to enjoy a beer. The May Day bank holiday on 5th May and the late spring bank holiday on 26th May. You may even be able to celebrate with a World Beer Cup winning beer, too!
May Day bank holiday was introduced in 1978 as a traditional celebration of spring, but has ancient origins dating back to Roman times. Today, it’s often associated with Maypole dancing, flowers and the crowning of a May Queen.
Late spring bank holiday, originally known as Whitsunday, is a Christian festival marking Pentecost, which occurs 50 days after Easter. The Monday after Whitsunday was once a designated holiday, but, in 1971, it was officially moved to the end of May, becoming the bank holiday we recognise today.
Both holidays are synonymous with leisure, celebrations, and socialising with family and friends, making them ideal occasions to enjoy great food and drink, including high-quality American craft beer.
Pairing good beer with bank holidays goes hand in hand, but when it comes to quality, American craft beer leads the way. American craft brewers have access to some of the highest quality hops available and are renowned for their ground-breaking creativity, relentless innovation, and unswerving commitment to the highest standards possible.
They push the boundaries of flavour and create excitement with new ingredients, new techniques and new taste experiences.
May is also a significant month in the US beer calendar, as it marks the announcement of the World Beer Cup winners. The biggest and most competitive beer competition in the world, it attracted more than 8,300 entries from around the globe.
Often called the ‘Olympics of Beer’ the international competition has been highlighting the artistry and science of brewing since 1996 and celebrates the most exceptional beers and brewers in the world. Many medal-winning US craft beers may become available in the UK.
Statistics from this year’s competition:
- Entries: 8,375
- Breweries and cideries: 1,761
- Countries: 49
- First-time brewery entries: 317
- Judges: 265
- International judges: 132 from 37 countries
Cans v draught
A new trend is gaining momentum in the US — the pint-size can (19.2oz). According to Brewers Association research, this format was the only growing packaging option among craft beer single-unit sales in 2024. It now accounts for 54% of craft beer’s single-can volume, gaining 6.6 percentage points in market share.
IPA dominates the 19.2oz can format, making up 86% of total volume in 2024. Notably, the imperial/double/triple IPA category has seen the most growth, rising from 30% of total 19.2oz can sales in 2021 to 35% in 2024. However, other styles, including American pale ale, extra pale ale, pilsner, and sour, have also gained traction.
As all other single-can sizes decline in both volume and market share, the 19.2oz can is emerging as the preferred choice.
American craft brewers have long been at the forefront of innovation, pioneering bold new styles, experimental brewing techniques, and now, game-changing packaging formats. Given that trends in the US often make their way to the UK, the pint-size can is one to watch.
Whether it’s enjoying an award-winning American craft beer over the bank holiday or keeping an eye on emerging trends, May is shaping up to be an exciting month for beer lovers and the beer industry alike.
The Brewers Association
In the UK, American craft beer is available from selected national wholesalers for the trade and online retailers such as Athletic Brewing, Sierra Nevada shop, Brew Export, Beers of America, Cave Direct, and Beer Merchants, selected bottle shops, off-licences, online subscription services, and supermarkets, and man pubs and bars.
The Brewers Association publishes a wealth of resources to understand and enjoy craft beer, downloadable free of charge from brewersassociation.org.
About the author
Lotte Peplow is the American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe for the Brewers Association and is based in London. She is a certified cicerone, BDI-accredited beer sommelier, beer writer, author, beer communicator, international beer judge, homebrewer, and beer lover.
