American Craft Beer Week

May 14-20, 2012

Happy American Craft Beer Week! Support your local brewers.

May 14 through May 20 is American Craft Beer Week 2012, which is an annual nationally recognized event organized by CraftBeer.com, and it is upon us! It offers an exciting opportunity for small and independent craft brewers and the community of better beer retailers to celebrate the ever advancing beer culture here in the U.S. Plus, tens of thousands of today's beer beginners, beer enthusiasts, and hard core beer geeks make time to toast the week. Check out this video:

The Declaration of Beer Independence has been an integral part of American Craft Beer Week (ACBW) since 2009. It has been signed and shared by tens of thousands of passionate and thirsty beer lovers, hung on the walls of brewery tap rooms across the country, and even carried through the halls of Congress. It also can be seen on display in forward thinking retail establishments, further confirming the importance of diversity in the beer marketplace.

Here are some things that you, the beer lover, can do:

1.      'Like' the ACBW Facebook fan page to join more than 35,000+ in support of ACBW

2.      Email or share The Declaration via Facebook and Twitter

3.      Visit the American Craft Beer Week Events page. If your local brewery is not listed then prompt them to do so!

4.      Celebrate at an ACBW event in your area. New events are being added all the time

5.      Make a goal: Print out the Declaration of Beer Independence, sign it, and hand it to 5 restaurants or other retailers you think should carry a broader selection of U.S. craft beer.

We hold these truths to be self-evident

If nothing else, I recommend you drink this week, and drink well. Treat yourself. Go find something you’ve never had before. Splurge for that really expensive bottle of beer you’ve been trying to justify. And while you’re at it, tell people about it. Explain to the other patrons in the package store or grocery store about craft beer, and why it’s important to celebrate quality over quantity. Sure, some of them might look at you like you’re a little off, but if you get through to one person, that is a success story. You’ve done your part, and craft brewing will be better for it.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!