American Craft Beer Week

Highlighting the unique flavors and styles of beer that can only come from small batch, independent brewing, American Craft Beer Week shines a spotlight on the important role that craft breweries play in the industry. Join in on the fun by enjoying the special offers, events, partnerships and more that are always taking place during American Craft Beer Week! 

History of American Craft Beer Week

The background of American Craft Beer Week is associated with two different important trade organizations that go back several decades. Dating back to the World War II era is the Brewers Association of America, and the Association of Brewers was founded in 1978. These two operated independently until 2005 when they joined together to form what is now simply known as the Brewers Association, working out of Boulder, Colorado.

American Craft Beer Week was launched the following year (2006) by the Brewers Association along with Craftbeer.com. The event was founded with the purpose of supporting and raising awareness about craft breweries as well as independent brewers who work hard to infuse their barrels and bottles with amazing, hand-crafted beer.

This event takes place at the perfect time of the year for the northern hemisphere. As temperatures are beginning to rise and backyard barbecues are popping up in neighborhoods and communities, American Craft Beer Week encourages the inclusion of craft beers into these summer celebrations.

Now, for more than 15 years, American Craft Beer Week has been celebrated each year to show appreciation for the growing number of craft breweries in the United States – reaching close to 10,000 in 2023!

How to Celebrate American Craft Beer Week

Show some love and appreciation for the thousands of independent craft breweries that bring amazing beer into their local communities! Get started celebrating American Craft Beer Week with some of these activities:

Find a New Favorite Craft Brewery

While anytime is a good time to explore craft breweries, American Craft Beer Week acts as a perfect reminder to step beyond the usual and support a local independent brewer. Those who are looking for a quick and easy guide to finding one can check out the resources located on the Craftbeer.com website, which states that most Americans live within only 10 miles of a craft brewery. 

Try Brewing Craft Beer

Those who love beer and have thought about brewing might just want to use American Craft Beer Week as a motivation to get started! The simplest way to begin is to order a beer brewing kit. Though it takes 2-4 weeks to get the finished product, it’s not extremely labor intensive as much of the time is left for the fermentation and carbonation processes to take place naturally.

Cook with Craft Beer in the Kitchen

Many people don’t realize what a versatile ingredient beer can be in the kitchen. From cupcakes and cookies to meatballs and chicken, beer brings a unique flavor to all sorts of homemade foods. Search online or check out the Craftbeer.com website to find a list of recipes that include beer as a flavorful ingredient.