LA Beer Week 2012 is over, but this doesn’t mean the celebration of beer should stop. You can celebrate craft beer every time you reach in the fridge or order at the bar! Just choose craft, choose local, and choose to keep fighting the hegemony of bland beer all year long.

Each year the craft beer community in Los Angeles grows larger and stronger, and LA Beer Week has a lot to do with that. Beer Week is about awareness and enjoyment of craft beer, and it’s the people of Beer Week that make the event so successful. Beer Week 2012 may be over, but you can continue to help craft beer in Los Angeles keep growing. Here are some ways to join the fight and spread the gospel:

• Support the local industry. Buy locally brewed craft beer from local bars, restaurants, and bottle shops. Take pride in the beer made in our city, and share it with friends.
• Spread the word about craft beer. You don’t have to be snobby or overbearing about it, but by gently nudging macro-beer drinkers in your life towards a craft alternative you might help create another craft beer fan.
• Use social media tools to amplify the message. Follow breweries and beer-venues on Twitter and Facebook and support their presence with “likes” and “shares/retweets.”
• Keep learning about craft beer. Beer is a deep subject, and people can (and do) dedicate their lives to learning its intricacies. You don’t have to become a monk to continue your beer education; throughout the year blogs, books, or local events with an educational slant can all help teach you more about beer. And the more you know about beer the more you enjoy it!

There are 12 months until the next LA Beer Week, and so much can change in that time. Beers that you don’t like today could be your favorites next year, breweries that are working to open their doors now could be the next big thing in the LA Beer Scene, or maybe you will even be able to get a pint of craft beer for Opening Day at Dodger Stadium!

Over the next 12 months we challenge you to try new beers, find new friends, and toast to craft beer in Los Angeles!

Until next year’s LA Beer Week, Cheers!