The Craft Beer Industry Association added 15 brewery members in its second year, lifting full membership from 63 to 78.
In his chairman’s report, Mountain Goat’s Dave Bonighton who replaced outgoing chair Brad Rogers in January, said the association had grown to 78 of the 235 breweries and brewing companies in Australia, a result he said the Board was pleased with at the end of just its second year while wanting the number higher
Alongside full members, the CBIA reported 40 associate and 144 beer enthusiast memberships.
On the association’s own figures, the membership gain has barely shifted its share. The 235-brewery count is up from the roughly 200 cited last year, so 78 members represents about a third of eligible breweries – little changed from the previous year’s proportion despite the absolute growth.
ACCC enters the frame on labelling and tap contracts
The most significant new development of the year sits outside the accounts. The report confirms the ACCC became involved in the sector during 2013/14 over beer labelling and exclusive tap contracts. The CBIA said it supported the regulator’s scrutiny on both. On labelling, the association said it recognised that the scale and location of a brewery may significantly influence consumer choice, and that labelling or marketing intended to mislead consumers ran contrary to the ethos of craft beer.
On tap contracts, the CBIA said concerns had been raised that widespread exclusive or semi-exclusive contracts may act as a barrier to entry for smaller producers, and that it welcomed the ACCC investigation into whether the draught beer market was fair and competitive. The association said it was communicating directly with the ACCC on both matters and awaiting findings.
Excise: from letters to a white paper
The advocacy work matured from last year’s letter-writing campaign into development of a formal excise white paper, led by secretary Jared Birbeck of Birbeck’s Brewing. The Association is currently developing some modeling around to help us in our quest to make excise on craft beer fairer and more in line with commercial realities.
Longer term, the CBIA repeated its call for uniform volumetric taxation across all alcohol calling for a national summit on alcohol taxation. The timing is tied to the government’s tax white paper process.
Defining craft, and the year’s other milestones
The Board took the step of defining craft beer, landing on “born of a mindset, an idea between art and science executed by the dedicated skill of a brewer”.
Bonighton explained the Association believed a definition assists in becoming more relevant and accessible to
the wider drinking audience.
“We need to offer a compelling reason for the ‘uninitiated’ to try our beer,” he said.
“To do this we’ll need ‘newbies’ taking up our cause, and we need to communicate to them who and what we are.
“Obviously a definition alone is no silver bullet, it’s one spoke in the wheel, and will be supported by our new website, www.whatiscraftbeer.com.au.”
He said the site is primarily aimed at those just beginning their craft beer journey, whether as a drinker or as a staff member in the trade.
“We feel it will be of value to everybody interested in good beer no matter their knowledge base.”
