Independent brewers offer sampling of wares at Boston party

(barbo ra)

Boston celebrates increased American craft beer sales with 86 brewers June 18-19.

The largest celebration of American craft beer on the east coast takes place on June 18 and 19 at the Seaport World Trade Center Boston. The American Craft Beer Fest (ACBF) 2010 is the third one of its kind and features around 400 craft beers produced by 86 small independent American Brewers including the Bear Republic brewing Co. and the world renowned Rouge brewery.

The American Craft Beer Fest comes at the end of the Boston Beer Week, a ten-day event running June 11-20, in celebration of beer. American Craft Beer Fest is limited to 5000 attendees per session (Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and Saturday night) and is expected to sell out quickly after last year's very successful festival. Though the event is the biggest celebration of beer on the east coast it pales in comparison to Germany's Oktoberfest which attracted 5.7 million visitors last year.

While America's total imported beer sales declined by 9.8 percent in 2009 and overall US beer sales were down 2.2 percent in the same year, Craft beers managed to increase their total sales value by 10.2 percent. The total US beer industry is worth an estimated retail value of $ 101 billion of which craft brewers, whom represent 4.3 percent of the US beer industry by volume, are estimated to be worth 6.9 percent of retail value.

Tickets for the American Craft Beer Fest are 40$ per person /per session and include free tasting of all the beers and a festival guide.

http://beeradvocate.com/acbf/