The Independent Brewers Association (IBA) has officially launched its seal of independence, which it says will help consumers to easily identify which beers are owned by independent Australian brewers.
The IBA says it hopes the seal will enable consumers to understand true independent craft beers, especially with more and more multinational breweries launching ‘craft’ labels, and IBA board member Will Tatchell said the movement is focused on educating beer drinkers in Australia.
“We want to educate all beer consumers, especially those who still consume industrialised beer made by massive multinational corporations, to ensure that they understand the variety, quality and emotional engagement that beer made by local independent breweries offers.”
Similar marks of independence have already been launched overseas, with the US Brewers Association recently launching their own Independent Craft Brewer Seal.
“The trend towards locally brewed, hand-crafted beer made by small independent breweries is not a fad, it is a fundamental shift on a global scale that is bigger than just beer and more so about the stories behind the product,’ says Tatchell.
Currently, 50 per cent of the nation’s craft brewers are part of the IBA, with all IBA member s eligible to use the seal by entering into a license agreement through the IBA website.
“I think this has the potential to be a game changer and provide clarity for people who care about that sort of stuff,” adds Steve Jeffares, co-founder of Stomping Ground, who was part of the committee to create the Seal. “I think it’s going to be a really good scene. I’m really excited about it.”