Are you ready for American Craft Beer Week 2026?

American Craft Beer Week 2026

American Craft Beer Week®, the annual national beer holiday celebrated since 2006 by millions of beer lovers, breweries, and retailers, will be observed May 11-17 this year. The event provides an opportunity for beer lovers to connect safely with each other while supporting local microbreweries, taprooms, brewpubs, and regional craft breweries.

Make a plan to go visit your favorite local independent breweries, taprooms, or brewpubs. They need your support.

Why support American Craft Beer Week?

When you buy a craft beer at your local independent brewery, taproom, or brewpub you are supporting not only them but an entire interconnected supply chain industry. You are also supporting your local economy.

Hop growers and pickers, barley farmers, malting companies, packaging companies, and distributors are just a few examples of the supply chain industry that benefits from the craft beer you buy.

And like any other business, breweries pay taxes. These include local property and sales taxes that fund essential services like first responders, schools, parks, and road maintenance. Each time you buy a local craft beer, you’re indirectly supporting these vital public services.

Breweries employ a diverse workforce, from brewers and bartenders to marketing professionals and accountants. These employees spend their income within the community, supporting local businesses and contributing to the local economy.

The employees at breweries also pay income taxes, further contributing to federal, state, and city governments.

The Brewers Association,  a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade group representing America’s 9,000+ breweries, reported that craft breweries and their interconnected supply chain contributed $72.5 billion to the U.S. economy in 2025. This number includes contributions from 9,778 small and independent breweries operating in the U.S. with more than 443,000 jobs supported nationwide across brewing, retail, distribution, agriculture, and manufacturing.

When you buy craft beer you are supporting a broad worker force nationwide.

So, for American Craft Beer Week, go out and support one or more of your local craft beer businesses. Relax, enjoy your beer, and smile about the positive impact that will be felt nationwide.