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| Brewers Association Export Development Program |
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| Written by Michael Venters | ||||||||||||
| November 30, 2008 | ||||||||||||
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For a long time drinking an import beer was a mark of sophistication for American consumers. Well, the craft brewing industry has augmented that perception over the last couple of decades.
Now, with more than a little sense of vindication, American craft beers are becoming more desired abroad. This increased demand is due in large part to the efforts of the Brewer’s Association’s Export Development Program (EDP). Begun in 2004, the EDP, funded through a grant from the Market Access Program within the Dept. of Agriculture, has continued to build momentum and has been involved in many events this year, further propelling international awareness. One of the primary ways this is accomplished is by attending and competing in international competitions. This year American breweries entered beers into the Great British Beer Festival and the Stockholm Beer and Whiskey Festival, among others. The EDP helps US breweries by covering entrance fees for competitions. Another avenue in building awareness is immersing international industry personalities into the fabric of American craft beer, i.e. the GABF. At this year’s festival, Dan Ihrelius, head beer purchaser for Sweden’s Systembolaget — the state beer monopoly system — was on hand as a beer judge. Soren Frank, Denmark’s leading beer journalist, shared his thoughts on the craft beer movement in Denmark opportunities in Europe. Jim Araneta from Global Beer Exchange, an importer in the Philippines, spoke about that market and the demand for the beers he imports there. As you would expect, there are also thousands of frequent flyer miles involved as well. Bob Pease, Brewer’s Association VP and EDP committee member, has logged multiple trips this year. He attended the Stockholm festival in Sweden, which is currently the largest export market for American craft beers. He also went on a trade mission to Japan back in March, attending the FoodEx trade show. A beer and food paring dinner was also held for government dignitaries, trade people and the media. Japan continues to be a challenging market for expansion, but Bob is pleased with the progress thus far. Bob will be traveling to China in December to conduct educational seminars in Shanghai and Beijing. The EDP is looking to continue to expand this market by leveraging the strong demand for American products, which was increased even more with the Olympics this past summer. A measure of the success of the EDP is that people and organizations are beginning to come to them with opportunities. A member of the Foreign Service in Germany approached the Brewer’s Association to provide American craft beers at the July 4th barbeque at the new American Embassy in Berlin. Closer to home, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) in Canada is actively looking for more American craft beers to add to its import portfolio. Five beers were added this year. The truest measure of the program’s success, however, is pure demand. Volume of exported craft beer climbed from 600,000 gallons in 2006 to 1,100,000 gallons in 2007, and Bob expects the 2008 number to be around 1.6 million gallons. The success of the program hasn’t been lost on the Dept. of Agriculture either. In 2008, the grant for the program increased 75 percent up to $320,000. They say the sincerest form of flattery is imitation. And for years, American craft brewers have been flattering the international brewers by creating interpretations of classic styles, as well as some truly American originals. While, the international brewers may not be imitating us just yet, their consumers are drinking more and more of our beers and that in and of itself is a pretty big compliment.
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