New Craft Brewers symbol launched

The Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland has launched its much-anticipated Independent Craft Beer of Ireland symbol which offers reassurance to consumers that the beer they’re buying is what it purports to be - the brewery the beer came from is independently-owned, small-scale, a registered microbrewery as recognised by Revenue and that the brewer has complete ownership of the brand.

The introduction of the symbol also reflects the scale of growth in the craft beer market in Ireland, with over 65 registered microbreweries now in operation. Just five years ago there were just 13.

According to the Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland, “Unfortunately some other companies are jumping in on this and releasing products into the market which they’re misrepresenting as craft beer and being vague about origin to suggest a provenance of craft beer from an independent Irish brewery”.

The new symbol means that the consumer can more easily identify a beer from an independent Irish craft brewer.

For Irish craft brewers it provides a means by which they can take a stand against misrepresentation and identify themselves as small-scale breweries.

And while the Independent Irish Craft Beer symbol had been devised and developed by the Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland, use of the symbol is not confined to ICBI members.

“Any brewer whose beer fulfils the criteria may submit it for approval by the review panel who will meet quarterly to approve applications and address any complaints concerning use of the symbol,” stated the ICBI, “Use of the symbol will be managed through spot-checks on the marketplace and a formalised channel for making complaints of any beer which it is felt is using the symbol deceptively.”