Wisconsin Craft Brewers Unite Under Independent Beer Flag

This Saturday, Nov. 24, is Small Business Saturday, a day reminding people to support local businesses during the holiday shopping season. Wisconsin’s independent craft breweries want to remind shoppers that they, too, are small businesses, so they’re uniting under the independent craft brewer seal.

Tuesday, three dozen of Wisconsin’s craft brewers hoisted a flag showing the indie beer seal. The seal was released in June 2017 by the Brewers Association (publishers of CraftBeer.com) as a visual reminder to beer lovers signifying which breweries are independently-owned.

“When you see this flag, you know it’s a small and independent business.” Jeff Hamilton, Sprecher Brewing

The team at Sprecher Brewing in Glendale started the day with a flag hoisting ceremony.

“It is important to understand where your products one from. With all corporate mergers, there’s a lot of confusion in beverages, especially in beer,” says Sprecher’s Jeff Hamilton. “We’re joining with breweries all across Wisconsin today to raise a flag for independence to let people know as they are coming into this shopping season and small business Saturday that independence matters. When you see this flag, you know it’s a small and independent business.”

(READ: Hundreds of Breweries Tell Sierra Nevada ‘We’re In’ to Brew Wildfire Relief IPA)

Sprecher is one of the 30 breweries proudly flying the flag. Many breweries shared their flag posting moments on social media; the Wisconsin Brewers Guild along with our friends at the Independent Beer Facebook Page have reshared many of those posts if you want to check them out.

The messaging behind Small Business Saturday is clear: supporting small businesses means supporting communities. As you head out shopping this weekend, complete your day supporting local business owners by stopping for a break at an independent brewery. Bookmark the CraftBeer.com Brewery Finder on your cell phone so that when you’re out this weekend, you can easily find breweries near you.

Jess Baker

Jess Baker walked into a beer fest in 2010 and realized beer had come a long way from what her dad had been drinking since the 70s. She served as editor-in-chief of CraftBeer.com from spring 2016 to spring 2020, bringing you stories about the people who are the heartbeat behind U.S. craft brewing. She's a runner, a die-hard Springsteen fan, a mom who is always scouting family-friendly breweries, and always in search of a darn good porter.

CraftBeer.com is fully dedicated to small and independent U.S. breweries. We are published by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers. Stories and opinions shared on CraftBeer.com do not imply endorsement by or positions taken by the Brewers Association or its members.