Flagship February begins today in WV

Today starts a month long celebration of the beers that built America’s craft brewing industry, both nationally and locally. Participating in Flagship February is your way of saying thank-you to the brewers of America for freeing us from an unhealthy boring sameness in beer.

Without the flagship brands to pay the freight, we would likely have a whole lot less diversity in the beer market today. The success of brewery flagships is primarily what has allowed the craft beer industry to blossom. We all have benefitted.

Whether you are a craft beer consumer, a bar, or a bottle shop, you can participate in Flagship February by focusing some of your attention on the flagship brands of our independent craft brewers. Whether it’s New Belgium Fat Tire, Sam Adams Boston Lager, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Big Timber Porter, or Greenbrier Valley Devil Anse, search out some flagships, buy/sell and enjoy them.

Flagship February For Bars and Bottle Shops

Order in an ample supply from your distributors and breweries and feature flagship labels throughout the month. Display the Flagship February logo in your social media. Bars and growler shops can do Flagship tap takeovers. Bottle shops can promote a different flagship each week and display the Flagship February logo on the shelf.

Flagship February For Craft Beer Consumers

Start by getting familiar with the core flagship craft brands of West Virginia and national/regional craft brewers. Haven’t had them in a while — commit to refreshing your taste buds. Try a different one at least once a week. Support bars and retailers who feature Flagship February promotions.

If you are visiting a brewery taproom and not sure what their flagship beer is, just ask. They will pour you a glass and likely tell you the story behind it too.

Use the #FlagshipFebruaryWV or #FlagshipFebruary hashtags in your social media posts. Make a point to post your flagship beer photos on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Untappd.

Let’s show some love for the beers that build our favorite breweries.

We wrote about a few of West Virginia’s iconic flagship beers here last month. There are plenty more flagships brews in WV; most breweries have at least one. Reach out and look for those you may not have recently had.

Flagship Definition

From the website FlagshipFebruary.com, a flagship is defined as the beer that defines a brewery. They write, “It’s the one that you immediately think of when you hear the brewery’s name, the one that most people associate with the business. In most cases, it is their best-selling beer and often the one that outsells all their other offerings by a wide margin. A good flagship also allows a brewery to be able to afford the seasonals, specialty beers and the other one-off beers in their lineup.”