Bob Pease, chief executive/president of the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association representing small and independent American craft brewers, highlights the American craft beer presence at the Great British Beer Festival
The Brewers Association, through its Export Development Programme, is
once again proud to partner with the festival to showcase the innovation, diversity and creativity of American’s small and independent craft brewers.
This year marks our 15th consecutive year of sponsorship, and we’re honoured to have the International Bottle and Can Bar named after the Brewers Association’s founder, Charlie Papazian (bar number 24).
For this year’s festival, 26 American craft breweries will be represented, including new participants making their debut at GBBF, and old favourites. The full list comprises:
Bootlegger’s Brewery
Cigar City Brewing
Coronado Brewing Co
Country Boy Brewing Co
Deschutes Brewery
Epic Brewing Co
FiftyFifty Brewing Co
Foolproof Brewing Co
Green Flash Brewing Co
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Heretic Brewing Co
Indeed Brewing Co
Karl Strauss Brewing Co
Left Hand Brewing Co
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
New Belgium Brewing Co
New Holland Brewing
Odell Brewing Co
Oskar Blues Brewery
Port City Brewing Co
Rogue Ales & Spirits
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co
Straight to Ale
Tailgate Beer
Three Weavers Brewing Co
The Virginia Beer Co
More than 90 different American craft beers will be available for sampling in can or bottle format, most of which are normally unavailable in the UK. As well as world-class examples of classic beer styles, the selection also includes rare and unusual beers, such as a strawberry hefeweizen, rosé wine inspired saison, and a Kombucha IPA.
They range in style and strength from a sparkling ale with matcha green tea and crushed fruit, through to barrel-aged Russian imperial stouts, and showcase the experimentation and innovation for which American craft brewers are renowned.
All beers are being air-freighted across the Atlantic to arrive as fresh as the brewer intended and in peak condition.
The UK is the second largest export market for American craft beer after Canada and accounts for 16.6% of all exports, up from 10.6% in 2017. GBBF is an important platform for our Export Development Programme member brewers to explore new opportunities in the UK and showcase their innovative, diverse, high quality beers.
A masterclass tasting of seven innovative and creative American craft beers will take place at GBBF on Tuesday, August 6, from 7.30pm until 8.30pm. It will be presented by those brewers who have travelled across from America, and the Brewers Association. Tickets are available at gbbf.org.uk/tickets/
And, if you can’t get to Olympia, The Rake, in Borough Market, London, is hosting an American craft beer themed night and meet the brewers session on Thursday, August 8, from 6pm, with a selection of UK-rare, super high-quality, leading-edge American craft beers.
About the Brewers Association
The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts.
The BA represents 4,000-plus US breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers.
The BA organises events including the World Beer Cup, Great American Beer Festival, Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America, SAVOR: An American Craft Beer and Food Experience, Homebrew Con, National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week.
The BA publishes The New Brewer magazine, and Brewers Publications is the largest publisher of brewing literature in the US.
Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association and the free Brew Guru mobile app.
