Take Craft Back ... Alive!

It only seems impossible if you really think about it.

The [U.S.] Brewers Association (BA) —the not-for-profit organization that “represents America’s small and independent brewers”— proposed, yesterday, tongue-in-cheek, a crowd-sourced campaign to #TakeCraftBack from Anheuser-Busch InBev —the international beer behemoth that has been busy acquiring small breweries across the country and the world— by purchasing the conglomerate itself for a cool $213 billion.

It appears that this campaign is a followup to the Certified Independent Craft Beer Seal that the BA launched in June (2017). But it also raises an uncomfortable question: when was 'craft' beer lost? Take 'craft' back to where/when? Take 'craft' back to when it was 'craft'?

All fun and games aside, THAT's a can of bad beer that the [U.S.] Brewers Association might not want to pop open.

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In order for the BA to reach its 'goal' of $213,000,000,000, every American would have to contribute $655 dollars apiece. As of today, supporters have 'pledged' $1,591,390 (at takecraftback.com). Although the BA says it doesn’t intend to collect from donors, it does promise swag for each.

We have no doubt that your pledge, and all the others like it, has Big Beer quaking in their [sic] custom-made Italian loafers.

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• This post orginally appeared on the Facebook page for YFGF: YoursForGoodFermentables/.
• Read the BA's press release.
• See the 'campaign's' website: takecraftback.com.
• See the video above, at YouTube.
• Julia Herz, Craft Beer Program Director for the BA, presents another video, but with a more 'serious' tone.
• The timing of this campaign is unfortunate, as well. Infighting among members of the U.S. brewing industry —small and independent (so-called 'craft') breweries vs. large breweries— could, however, hurt chances of Congressional passage of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA) which would cut the federal excise tax for domestic breweries making fewer than 2 million barrels annually to $3.50 per barrel (currently $7) on their first 60,000 barrels and reduce and streamline reporting requirements.


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