THE GIST
The organization behind Philadelphia Beer Week has announced the formation of a new nonprofit, Philly Loves Beer, which aims to promote the city’s craft beer sector and beer tourism business. Per Philly Mag, the organization will offer educational seminars, fundraisers, beer festivals, and more as part of its effort to bolster all facets of the city’s craft beer industry. The organization’s leadership team is comprised of myriad industry stakeholders, including bar owners, breweries, wholesalers, and more.
WHY IT MATTERS
This is essentially a rebranding for Philadelphia Beer Week, long known for putting on the annual 10-day festival of the same name, which serves to celebrate the city’s beer culture. Now, rather than standing behind one event, the renamed Philly Loves Beer group will henceforth operate as a “year-round entity devoted to raising Philadelphia’s global profile as a destination city for beer tourism,” according to Philly Mag.
To start, the organization has announced a slew of events in the months leading up to this year’s Philadelphia Beer Week, including a brew day this month and a fundraiser in February. Philly Beer Week, though, which is slated for June this year, will remain the organization’s marquee event.
It’s obviously nice to see nonprofit efforts pop up to promote local beer industries, especially those meant to boost tourism. Craft beer aficionados might be aware of the hidden gems worth traveling to in otherwise overlooked cities and states, but the average drinker likely only imagines a few states when they think of beer road trip-worthy destinations. So groups like this should only serve to expand the casual drinker’s horizon and let many know that they don’t necessarily need a plane ticket to enjoy the fruits of beer tourism.
—Dave Eisenberg
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Philly Beer Week Gets a Re-Branding [Philly Mag]