I am a craft brewer. I love craft beer. I am passionate about craft beer.

For the past 50 years, beers in the hands of average Americans have been put there by admin, mega corporations, snake oil salesmen, people who promise one thing and deliver nothing. Only focused on how much they’re selling, instead of what they’re selling. But not anymore.

Over the last several years, craft beer has been the fastest growing beer segment in the United States. And we’re just getting warmed up.

Tell me I can’t do it. Tell me my beers won’t sell. Call me naive. Call me a revolutionary.

Craft brewing is innovation, independence, curiosity, collaboration, character, and family. It’s built on the American dream. Craft brewing has integrity, tradition, a style all its own. Craft brewers make their community a better place. Craft brewing from America is spreading around the world.

We are small, community supportive, authentic, local, and diverse. We are risk takers. We are hard working. We don’t chase after trends, we create them.

A little over 100 years ago, there were 3,000 breweries in the United States. Around that same time, mega corporations decided to put corn in their beer. They decided to put rice in their beer. I don’t put corn in my beer. I don’t put rice in my beer. Everything I put in my beer, I choose because it enhances the flavor. I am not afraid. I’m not afraid to brew my beer to be more interesting, rather than less. If you want lowest common denominator beer, that’s up to you. I won’t have any part of it.

These are unprecedented times in the history of American brewing. While the monolithic industrial brewers have continued to get more monolithic, it’s craft brewers that have been capturing the hearts and minds of the American public.

Today, America is considered by experts and beer enthusiasts everywhere as being the most exciting place in the world for great beer. American craft brewers are proud to have changed the reputation of beer in this country from lowly to elevated.

Even though we make up just under 5% of the brewing industry, craft brewers have created a movement whose momentum cannot be stopped. We are socially conscious, stylistically adventurous, and categorically devoted to creating great craft beer.

We must illuminate our strengths, keep true to our standards, educate those who seek to understand what we’ve created. We must draw hard lines. We must expose those who would seek to capitalize on what we have created. We must not chase after those who do not understand or care about what we do.

We believe in quality, bold character, fun, responsibility, and we believe in pushing the boundaries. We are the heart and soul of the beer industry. We are all craft brewers. We must honor and hold true to our craft. We must honor and hold true to our integrity. We must honor and hold true to each other. We must spread the message.

I’d like to raise a toast to beers that were collaboratively brewed. I helped brew one of these beers (etc).

To you, to us, on three, then cheers. 1, 2, 3, cheers!