The Brewers Association Introduces the Independent Craft Brewer Seal

On June 27, 2017, the Brewers Association introduced the Independent Craft Brewer Seal as a certification mark for eligible small and independent American breweries. The upside-down bottle symbol was designed for use on packaging, tap handles, websites, and other branding so that consumers could more easily distinguish independently owned breweries from brands controlled by large brewing groups. The seal emerged after a wave of acquisitions had made brewery ownership increasingly difficult for drinkers to identify. Its introduction turned independence into a visible part of beer marketing and consumer choice, while also reinforcing the Brewers Association’s formal definition of an American craft brewer. On its first day, 432 breweries registered to use the mark, and adoption spread rapidly across the American craft-beer industry.