Craft Beer Marketing Awards 2023

On Monday May 8th at the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Nashville, TN we were honored with two Craft Beer Marketing Awards for the design of our Tampa Bay Ale Trail. CBC is held annually and is the largest craft brewing industry gathering and trade show in the country. Hundreds of speakers, exhibits, and seminars fill the four days of this can’t-miss event. Several award ceremonies, including the CBMA and the World Beer Cup, also take place during this time. 

The Tampa Bay Ale Trail is our guide to the breweries of Tampa Bay. It celebrates brands both large and small, who produce limited and regular releases, that specialize in classic styles and those known for wild variations. Whether they find a new favorite far away, or an unexpected surprise next door, it is the goal of this guide to pull consumers out of their comfort zone and reward their desire to explore. 

This year, the Tampa Bay Ale Trail went to print with over 80 participating breweries organized into eight regions of the area. Unique icons representing familiar attributes of each region were chosen. Tampa is the pirate ship, the only inanimate representation, but a long-used symbol of the city embraced by parades, music and film festivals, and an NFL team. For the first time we separated Ybor as its own region represented by the area’s iconic roosters, where hearing their crowing is part of daily life. St Pete’s pelican is part of its flag, city seal, and waterfronts. Dunedin’s oranges tell an amazing story of mischievous art turned into a beloved city symbol, in addition to the city’s history with orange groves. Between sightseeing cruises and statues throughout the city, the dolphin seemed a natural choice for Clearwater. The manatee is right on the nose for Sarasota/Manatee counties. Lakeland’s swans descended from a pair given to the city by the late Queen Elizabeth II and are ever-present in the city’s numerous lakes. Finally, the mermaid and its decades of history in Weeki Wachee represents our northernmost trail stops. 

We’ve always thought our Ale Trail was special, but our first “Gold Crushie” was for Best Beer Trail – validating all the hard work that has gone into creating and running the Trail for years to date. The use of regional icons was recognized by our second “Gold Crushie” for Best Brand Identity / Use of Icon or Mascot in Logo or Branding. We love these new regional symbols, and we’re very excited to see them and the Tampa Bay Ale Trail as a whole recognized on a national scale! 

Thank you to all our Hikers for your support and enthusiasm over the years – none of this would exist without you! 

To see all the winners and to learn more about the CBMAs click here!

We’ll see you all on the Trail! – Tampa Bay Beer Week Board