Governor Earl Ray Tomblin proclaimed August 15-22, 2015, as West Virginia Craft Beer Week, an eight-day celebration of the state’s local craft breweries, pubs and restaurants. Wild, Wonderful West Virginia encourages participants to submit local events to: http://wvcbw.com/#contact.
“Craft beer is one of the fastest-growing niche markets in the state, and I am pleased to see the industry have this opportunity to market and celebrate its product,” says Tomblin. “West Virginia is full of distinctive destinations and experiences, and Craft Beer Week will help bring attention to this unique community—just one of the many things that makes West Virginia truly wild and wonderful.”
The week kicks off with Rails and Ales in Huntington and Mountaineer Brewfest in Wheeling. Dozens of events will take place across the state, highlighting the rapidly growing brewing industry and helping educate visitors about the diverse offerings of the craft beer community. Craft Beer Week concludes with the Brew Skies Festival in Davis, WV.
“Craft Beer Week provides us with a unique opportunity to support our local businesses and showcase Real. Mountain Flavor,” Commissioner of Tourism Amy Shuler Goodwin says. “Whether your first encounter with the Mothman is at Greenbrier Valley Brewing or you’re grabbing a sandwich and a craft beer at the oldest brewery in the Mountain State, North End Tavern & Brewery in Parkersburg, it’s the Real. experiences that keep folks coming back time and again.”
Event listings may be found on the West Virginia Craft Beer Week website (www.WVCBW.com), and businesses are encouraged to submit their event information at www.wvcbw.com/#contact.
Across the country, interest in locally brewed beer has skyrocketed. National sales of craft beer rose 18 percent in 2014, and West Virginia breweries alone allocated for $118.2 million in sales in 2012. The passage of the West Virginia Craft Beer Bill, introduced by Tomblin during his 2015 State of the State address, has helped local establishments flourish by relieving local breweries of licensing and distribution restrictions and reinstating the sale of growlers.
