NC Craft Brewers Guild Supports Brewers Association’s “Pour Love into Local” Campaign
For immediate release
For additional information contact:
Shannon Taylor Wilder, Communications + Events Manager
NC Craft Brewers Guild
Shannon Taylor | c. 919.522.9331
Brewers Association Media Contact:
Jessie Vandenhouten (on behalf of the Brewers Association)
Jessie.Vandenhouten@backbone.media
970.963.4873 ext. 1220
NC Craft Brewers Guild Supports Brewers Association’s “Pour Love into Local” Campaign
The NC Craft Brewers Guild is joining the Brewers Association and fellow state brewers guilds in supporting the “Pour Love into Local” campaign. This initiative highlights the importance of gathering at your local craft brewery during the slower winter months, whether you’re looking to enjoy a traditional craft beer or exploring non-alcoholic alternatives.
Pour Love into Local: New Campaign Encourages Brewery Visits During Dry January and Beyond
North Carolina (January 2, 2025) —This winter, breweries across the country are inviting beer lovers and non-drinkers alike to visit their taprooms and "Pour Love into Local." This new collaborative messaging campaign developed by the Brewers Association—the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American craft brewers—and a coalition of state brewers guilds encourages customers to support local breweries after the holidays, a historically slow period for business. The "Pour Love into Local” initiative highlights how breweries serve as a gathering place to foster connections between people and meet the needs of their communities by serving up diverse, creative and innovative offerings beyond traditional beers.
The campaign’s advocates are promoting the importance of the social brewery experience during the typically slower winter months and encouraging everyone to continue to gather at and support their local breweries to kick off the New Year and beyond. It's no longer necessary for Dry January participants to give up their weekends and social lives when local breweries serve as community hubs for gathering with innovative alcohol-free alternatives available for all.
“Breweries are more than just places to grab a pint—they’re hubs of creativity and community,” said Ann Obenchain, vice president of marketing & communications at the Brewers Association. “With 'Pour Love into Local,' we’re encouraging everyone to explore what their local brewery has to offer, whether it’s a warm space to gather with friends, a chance to try a new NA creation, or simply a way to support a small business during the slower winter months.”
“North Carolina’s craft breweries continue to serve as welcoming gathering spaces for their communities,” said Lisa Parker, executive director of the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild. “This January, we want our customers to know that there is a wide diversity of beverages available at their local taproom. From traditional and innovative craft beers, to non-alcoholic slushies, seltzers, and mocktails, our breweries strive to provide an experience that meets people where they are at and honors their choices.”
Despite a slight uptick in onsite sales (USD) at small and independent breweries during Q1, January through March remain the slowest months, accounting for just 22% of 2023's annual sales. Compounding this challenge, the American Time Use Survey (BLS) reveals a more than 20% decline in daily socialization time among adults aged 25-54 between 2003 and 2023. This convergence of reduced social activity and seasonal slowness adds to the pressures faced by on-premise businesses.
“It’s a very difficult time for small businesses, especially in the beverage and hospitality sector, and it historically gets worse in January and February,” said Caroline Wallace, executive director of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild. “With the help of our colleagues at the Brewers Association and other state brewers guilds, we’re helping our member breweries by encouraging people to ‘Pour Love into Local’ by visiting their local breweries to gather and connect with friends, whether they’re observing Dry January or not. This campaign celebrates the craft brewing community’s diversity, creativity, and resilience.”
Visit the Brewers Association website to download
free promotional materials and support.
Support North Carolina's small and independent breweries by visiting your local taproom this winter. For more information about the Pour Love into Local campaign, visit BrewersAssociation.org or follow #PourLoveIntoLocal.
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About the NC Craft Brewers Guild
The North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild (NCCBG) is a 501c6 not-for-profit advocacy group supporting the independent craft brewers of our state through advocacy and education. North Carolina has over 420 independent craft breweries and brewpubs, each one serving as a local gathering spot for their communities. North Carolina is truly the State of Southern Beer™.
About the Brewers Association
The Brewers Association (BA) is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers, and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,600-plus U.S. breweries and more than 27,000 homebrewers. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events, including the World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference™ & BrewExpo America®, Homebrew Con™, National Homebrew Competition, and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer® and Zymurgy® magazines, and Brewers Publications® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com® and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association®. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 13672 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.