FDBusiness.com

The Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland (ICBI) has launched the official ‘Independent Craft Beer of Ireland’ symbol. This symbol was launched to assist the consumer in seeking out genuine Irish craft beer. The aim of the symbol is to simply allow the consumer to make an informed purchase decision based on the providence of the product they are purchasing.

From a consumer standpoint, the messaging behind the use of the symbol on products is as follows:

• There has been so much growth in the beer market, in Ireland with in excess of 80 registered microbreweries now in operation when a little as five years ago there were less than 20.
• This is all fantastic for the consumer, leading to such great choice of beers being available to them. Along with the beers, craft beer drinkers also love the names and stories behind the breweries.
• Unfortunately, some other companies are jumping in on this and releasing products into the market which they are misrepresenting as craft beer, and being vague about origin to suggest a provenance of craft beer from an independent Irish brewery.
• The Independent Irish Craft Beer symbol offers reassurance to consumers that the beer they are buying is what it purports to be – that 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.
• What this means for the consumer is that they can easily identify a beer which comes from an independent Irish craft brewer and make an informed choice, based on the provenance of the beer.
• For the Irish craft brewers, it gives a means by which they can take a stand against the misrepresentation of brands and to identify themselves as what they are – small scale breweries, brewing their own beers in their own microbreweries.
• The Independent Irish Craft Beer symbol had been devised and developed by ICBI, the Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland, however 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. 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.

By technical definition the criteria for usage of the symbol is as follows:

1. The applicant company must have a current Brewers Manufacturers License from Revenue.
2. The applicant company must have a current ATP 3 Form.
3. The applicant must submit a signed declaration to confirm:
   1. That they are economically independent of any brewery producing over 30,000HL per annum;
   2. That they meet Enterprise Ireland’s definition of an SME;
   3. That they own and control the brand for which they are applying for use of the logo;
   4. That the beer to carry the logo was brewed in Ireland by them in their brewery and not under contract by another brewery;
   5. That the beer to carry the logo was packaged by them, or under contract for them, on the island of Ireland.