It started out as a hobby.<\/p>\n
Now it\u2019s a multi-billion dollar operation. In fact, in 2016 the craft beer industry sold $23.5 billion in beer<\/a>. This accounts for 22% of total beer sales in America.<\/p>\n The number of independent breweries tops the 5,300 mark. For craft brew makers the growth is exciting and promising. But that overflowing growth brews up one thing: competition.<\/p>\n The nation\u2019s taste-buds are shifting. In a market constantly flooded with new brands, what can a new brewer do to get noticed?<\/p>\n The second thing to do is begin brainstorming your new craft beer logo. The first: understand your customer.<\/p>\n To stand out and rise a head above the competition, craft breweries are focusing on their branding. Yes, the beers must still speak for themselves, but beer enthusiasts want to be courted.<\/p>\n The surge in craft beer popularity reveals a lot about today\u2019s beer drinker. They are turning away from Big Beer name brands to try newer, experimental flavors with an edge.<\/p>\n They seek out tastes from a limited small-batch offering pulled from a portable CO2 keg tap<\/a> at a beer garden. Forget grabbing some cans from the corner liquor store.<\/p>\n In fact, recent trends show that millennials (the biggest lovers of craft beer) buy four or more different brands per month.<\/p>\n Are you looking to tap into the craft beer craze? Maybe you\u2019re thinking of rebranding<\/a>? After you brew your exceptional creation, you need to market it.<\/p>\n Check out what some breweries are doing to grab beer drinker\u2019s attention (and keep it). Use their stories to inspire your own craft beer logo ideas<\/a>.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve chosen 5 different styles of branding used by successful breweries. Which style best fits your brew?<\/p>\n We\u2019ll start here because it\u2019s a simple choice.<\/p>\n What comes to mind when someone says Fat Tire?<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t immediately picture an old-style bike, then you most likely don\u2019t drink beer. And you are reading the wrong blog post. (But keep reading. There\u2019s a lot of great info!)<\/p>\n One of the cool things about this industry is the flexibility it allows. Unlike large beer companies, independent breweries aren\u2019t stuck to a single label design. But beware: too much creativity may not be a good thing.<\/p>\n The rapid growth experienced by New Belgium Brewing Co. is a classic lesson in that old principle KISS (keep it simple stupid).<\/p>\n As the brewery grew, developing new beers and product series, the temptation to get more contemporary also grew. The artwork changed with every new release. Then, in 2013, New Belgium realized they had created a disconnect, not a recognizable flow.<\/p>\n The fix: take it back to the basics.<\/p>\n Spokesperson Bryan Simpson summed it up for Beer and Brewing<\/a> magazine. \u201cWe took a long look at our portfolio and decided we wanted more consistency across the cold box. We needed to look like one family of brands. . .\u201d<\/p>\n It took almost a year to complete. Did going back to simple work? According to Simpson 2014 was an excellent year with 19% growth.<\/p>\n That deserves a KISS of approval.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not uncommon to find a craft beer\u00a0logo and branding style that find inspiration from nature.<\/p>\n But, at Uinta Brewing nature is not only their brand, it\u2019s the brewery culture. Their two passions: brewing great beer and protecting a great planet.<\/p>\n Since 2001 the brewery has run on 100% renewable energy (wind, and more recently, solar). And they even offer bins in the brewery parking lot for recycling brown glass.<\/p>\n Named after the tallest range in Utah, the Uinta Mountains, it\u2019s no accident the brewery\u2019s\u00a0beer reflects an outdoorsy vibe. Their Golden Ale Par Series celebrates and raises awareness for our national parks.<\/p>\n From the website<\/a>: GREAT beer is brewed with environmental stewardship, support for community and a whole lot of passion.<\/p>\n Wondering if this love for nature helps with brand awareness? Check out their Instagram<\/a> to see photo after photo of Uinta beer. Staged with nature as a backdrop.<\/p>\n Their tagline: Earth, wind and beer.<\/p>\n It\u2019s only natural they\u2019re so popular.<\/p>\n One thing is certain, craft beer drinkers are changing. As palates become more sophisticated so do the desires to know the \u201cback stories\u201d of the beers they drink.<\/p>\n For 21st Amendment Brewing, history is the cornerstone of their operation. While researching a name the founders immersed themselves in San Fransisco\u2019s rich brew history.<\/p>\n They discovered there were 40 craft brew operations within SF city limits in the early 1900s. Then came Prohibition. It wiped out an entire culture. Then came the 21st Amendment. And a culture has been revitalizing ever since.<\/p>\n That story is the inspiration for the artwork that goes on the cans (yes! great artwork<\/a> can exist on cans) of 21st Amendment Brewery.<\/p>\n Beer and Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll. Beer and jazz. Music and Beer. They just go together.<\/p>\n Maybe it\u2019s because the sound of beer bubbling into a pilsner is like music to the ear.<\/p>\n With a name like Dogfish Head, you\u2019d expect something out-of-the-box. The brewery\u2019s commitment to music has not only inspired their craft beer logo and labels, it has inspired their beer.<\/p>\n They created an entire series of beers as a tribute to their love of music. Artists and bands include Miles Davis, Deltron 3030, Robert Johnson, and their American Beauty<\/a> Imperial IPA, not only inspired by the music but also the members of the Grateful Dead.<\/p>\n And in 2011 the brewery really got its groove on when they released\u00a0Faithfull\u00a0\u2014 no that\u2019s not a typo \u2014 which is a reference to the 1998 Pearl Jam song.<\/p>\n Full music immersion doesn\u2019t stop at the suds. Dogfish Head actually hosts their very own music festival every fall, Analog-A-Go-Go<\/a>. The two-day beer and music festival features food, an\u00a0artisanal marketplace, a vinyl exchange, and plenty of Dogfish Head brew.<\/p>\n It seems they have certainly found their muse.<\/p>\n Who doesn\u2019t know the yarn-weaver bellied up to the bar every Friday night after quittin\u2019 time? His stories are fanciful, adventurous and \u2014 although not believable \u2014 memorable.<\/p>\n So it is with beer. Minus the unbelievable part, of course.<\/p>\n What better way to tell stories than through the use of fairy tales? The scary ones, not the happily-ever-after type.<\/p>\n Enter Grimm Brothers.<\/p>\n But the brewery isn\u2019t based on the name alone. The stories influence everything.<\/p>\n From the philosophy of brewing (old-style German) to the artwork on every can, the brewers (who aren\u2019t brothers) have taken the art of storytelling to the next level. Their craft beer logo and label designs even mimic the fonts used in the original storybooks.<\/p>\n The website tells their story<\/a> perfectly:<\/p>\n \u201cInspired by the stories collected By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, they have crafted their beers to tell not only the story of Craft Brewing, but the harrowing and dark tales handed down through the generations.\u201d<\/p>\n Jon Taffer of Bar Rescue infamy hits the nail on the head of foam when he said in a recent interview<\/a>: \u201cCraft beer has created a culture, not a trend. A trend grabs market share and then disappears and gives it back. A culture grabs market share and then keeps it. The craft-beer culture isn\u2019t going anywhere in America.\u201d<\/p>\n Are you ready to become a part of the culture?<\/p>\n Your craft beer logo is the physical, emotional, or philosophical expression of your brand. Not to mention the style of craft beer you brew.<\/p>\nThe Mind of the Beer Enthusiast<\/h2>\n
SIMPLE:\u00a0 New Belgium Brewing Company<\/h2>\n
<\/h2>\n
NATURE\/OUTDOORS:\u00a0Uinta Brewing Company<\/h2>\n
HISTORICAL: 21st Amendment Brew<\/h2>\n
MUSICAL: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery<\/h2>\n
A Craft Beer Logo that Tells a Story: Grimm Brothers Brewhouse<\/h2>\n
Become a Part of a Culture<\/h2>\n