FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New Slogan Announced for American Beer Month January 14, 2003 • Boulder, CO — The wait is finally over. The Association of Brewers (AOB) announced the new slogan for American Beer Month today: American Beer Month —Discover the Flavors of Independence tm. American Beer Month, celebrated the month of July, is a grassroots campaign organized by the AOB to promote American brewing and celebrate the diversity and variety of American beer. A core committee of volunteers from the brewing community poured more than hundreds of suggestions before cultivating one of their own. Core committee members are: Sebbie Buhler, Rogue Ales, Ed Canty-Florida Brewers Guild, Tomme Arthur-Pizza Port - Solana Beach Brewery, Paul Gatza-Association of Brewers-Institute for Brewing Studies. “We put a lot of effort into this decision as did all those folks who submitted suggestions. We’re very excited about the slogan and the fresh launch of a new message and energy for American Beer Month’s 2003 campaign, “ comments Sebbie Buhler, American Beer Month committee member and Rogue Ales Sales Strategist. Cindy Jones, AOB’s Sales and Marketing Director, breaks down the slogan: Discover was chosen because it implies a journey or exploration; Flavors was selected because it represents the concept of the diversity of American brewing and reminds people that beer is a beverage with taste; Independence ties in the month of July and that American brewers are entrepreneurs. Although July is the month of celebration for American Beer Month, planning and promotions are already happening. A new poster and sticker designs are in the works to reflect the new campaign. Printed promotional materials will first be available at the Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America® in New Orleans, May 7-10, 2003. For the second year in a row, a silent auction will be held at the conference, benefiting American Beer Month. Donations are now being accepted and will be listed on the www.beertown.org and www.americanbeermonth.com in early April. The campaign’s official web site, www.americanbeermonth.com, will again offer ways to participate, press releases for festivals and breweries, artwork that can be downloaded and listings of nationwide American Beer Month events to help people promote and celebrate American Beer Month. Requests for promotional materials and getting events listed on the website should be directed to Monica Tall (monica(a)aob.org) at the Association of Brewers. # # # American Beer Month is presented by the Association of Brewers. The Association of Brewers is a not-for-profit, educational trade organization devoted to making quality brewing and beer information available to anyone. Cindy Jones Sales and Marketing Director Association of Brewers 303.447.0816 x 144 cindy(a)aob.org