The number of North American craft breweries grew 18 percent in 2014, according to the Brewers Association. To help this nearly $20 billion industry meet its growing branding needs, Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials has expanded its craft beer portfolio with five new label constructions, including a royal white and matte litho wet-strength construction.

“The expanded craft beer portfolio now has 18 constructions that allow brewers to create a distinctive look for their beer,” says Laura Clark, global marketing director, beverage, Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials. “As more breweries continue to enter the segment — there were 615 new breweries last year alone — it will be even more important for brewers to distinguish their brand through unique label materials and designs.”

Compared to glue-applied, pressure-sensitive labels are designed to allow brewers to have faster changeovers, reduced waste, easier clean-up and faster speed to market. The new Avery Dennison Craft Beer portfolio consists of paper and film materials with adhesives that stay on surfaces with heavy condensation, giving brewers the freedom to employ unique label shapes to tell their brand story and stand out on the shelf. The addition of the new matte litho wet-strength construction provides brewers a material with strong peel and tear resistance, keeping labels intact after being submerged in an ice bucket or cooler.

For more information about the craft beer portfolio and the 2015 pressure-sensitive craft beer label materials collection, visit label.averydennison.com/beer.