In this unique era of crossover drinking, new beverage concepts, reinventing the tap room experience, and a whacky economy, what’s the best way to find your course? Join Start A Brewery Contributors and craft beer industry veterans Jeff Mendel of Left Hand Brewing Company, Tim Myers of Strange Craft Beer Company, Laura Bruns of Craft Beer Uncovered, and Charlie Gottenkieny of Bruz Beers for an in depth exploration of opportunities, inspirations, personal small business development strategies, an...
Apr 21, 2025•45 min
Believe it or not, there’s more to life than beer. There’s also wine, spirits, cider—even NA products! But just because you’ve mastered beer doesn’t mean you can simply begin making and selling other types of alcoholic beverages. When a brewery moves to expand their offerings and enter new markets, there is no shortage of new requirements and restrictions that apply. From new licenses to additional taxes to dealing with state control boards, the entire process can look different from everything ...
Apr 19, 2025•1 hr 4 min
We can't wait to share beers and see you in-person in Indianapolis. We kickoff CBC Week with our Welcome Party on April 28 at Guggman Haus Brewing Co.RSVP: http://indy.craftbeerprofessionals.org/ In this conversation, we will be joined by several of our event partners to discuss how to best plan for CBC, the importance of in-person events, and how to make it a success. Don't miss tips by an Indy local and strategies to make the most of the conference.This conversation features: Adrian Pawliszko ...
Apr 18, 2025•39 min
The beer industry is filled with challenges—economic pressures, shifting consumer trends, and the constant noise of uncertainty. But instead of succumbing to doom and gloom, how can we cultivate resilience and purpose? In this session, Chris Douglas, a coach at Growth Equation, joins to explore the concept of tragic optimism—finding meaning and growth in difficult times. Through practical insights on core values, controlling what’s within your power, and identifying the battles worth fighting, w...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Taprooms are operating more like restaurants than ever before, and to stay competitive, they need to adopt the best practices from forward-thinking restaurants - especially when it comes to using data to drive profitability. Even in a tough market, the most successful businesses are leveraging cost data, menu insights, and server performance metrics to improve margins and maximize revenue. Jim Taylor, founder of Benchmark Sixty, has helped hundreds of restaurants optimize productivity, margins, ...
Apr 14, 2025•48 min
Beverage tax surety bonds are essential instruments for businesses in the beverage industry to ensure compliance with state and federal tax regulations. This presentation will provide an in-depth understanding of beverage tax surety bonds, their purpose, and their significance in the industry. We will explore how these bonds function as a guarantee to state authorities that beverage producers, importers, and distributors will comply with tax obligations associated with alcoholic and non-alcoholi...
Apr 12, 2025•25 min
The second Trump administration has barley begun, and employers and HR managers are worried if they are currently in compliance and if there is a strange brew on the horizon. We will discuss how the administration is and could impact employers. Learn how to ensure your business thrives and doesn’t fall a bit flat in the changing employment law landscape. Join Andrew Nielsen, General Counsel at myHRcounsel, as he dives into critical topics for your business, including: Immigration: What could mas...
Apr 10, 2025•53 min
Craft Beer Professionals has partnered with Craft Beer Advisory Services to gather insights on workplace satisfaction trends across the brewing industry. Join us for a presentation of the data, an exploration of trends, and insights into the state of workplace satisfaction across the brewing industry. Request the report: https://craftbeerprofessionals.org/workplace-satisfaction-report/ Learn more about Craft Beer Advisory Services: https://craftbeeradvisoryservices.com/ Join us in-person for CBP...
Apr 09, 2025•43 min
The process of taking a new product from concept to reality is one of the most difficult in the beer industry. With questions of type, scale, promotion, production, delivery, and sales in constant tension with each other, it can create a paralysis that can cripple the potential of even the most promising innovation. Moreover, in an industry built upon a foundation of new product creation and novel flavors, failing to master the art of true Release Management can be a fatal flaw for otherwise suc...
Apr 07, 2025•42 min
Join us to talk about cutting-edge technology and experiential strategies to engage the next generation of consumers. GoTab and BrewedAt are partnering to inspire breweries, taprooms, and hospitality venues to harness the power of memorable events, Gen Z-specific marketing strategies, and exclusive GoTab features like Secret Menus, shared tabs, and interactive experiences to attract a tech-savvy, experience-driven demographic. This event will empower industry professionals to reimagine how they ...
Apr 05, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Breweries are increasingly under pressure to adopt sustainable practices, including using recyclable packaging. However, navigating the complex landscape of packaging materials, recycling processes, and conflicting manufacturer claims can be daunting. In this presentation, we will demystify the recyclability of popular packaging solutions such as plastic rings, paperboard carriers, and aluminum cans. We'll explore how these materials are processed at local recycling facilities, highlight common ...
Apr 02, 2025•26 min
The craft beer industry is constantly changing and competition is fierce everywhere you turn. Breweries are opening and closing everyday, so how does one stand out from the crowd? Today, we discuss a number of everyday activities that can be done to help maximize growth in a strategic fashion. We can't just rely on making good beer anymore. We'll explore topics such as "knowing your why" and then explore the business side. These items include ordering efficiently and understanding landed costs, ...
Mar 31, 2025•41 min
Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It is also known as rustles steel or corrosion-resistant steel. It contains at minimum of 10.5 % chromium and usually nickel, and may also contain other elements, such as carbon, to obtain the desired properties. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion results from the chromium, which forms a passive film that can protect the material and self-heal in the presence of oxygen. The biological cleanability of stainless...
Mar 29, 2025•46 min
As we move into 2025, the taproom experience is being shaped by an ever-evolving landscape of guest preferences, expectations, and behaviors. Craft beer alone won’t keep guests coming back—today's successful taprooms are those that create a seamless fusion of exceptional beverages, a welcoming atmosphere, and an engaging staff. To stay ahead of the curve, it's critical to understand how the taproom audience is changing and what they truly desire from their visits. This session will provide insig...
Mar 26, 2025•1 hr 7 min
They’re new, novel for many, and sales are booming. Hemp-derived THC drinks are changing store shelves and consumer purchase behaviors. This segment represents some of the highest potential for compound annual growth rate across all forms of cannabis and cannabis-adjacent products in coming years. Most importantly, those sales increasingly occur in common places people are already shopping: bottle shops, liquor stores, and other chain retail. The total hemp-derived THC market grew around +20% in...
Mar 19, 2025•49 min
One of the most important legal contracts in the early life of a brewery is the lease. In this presentation, attendees will gain an overview of the negotiation process for a brewery lease, starting with the letter of intent all the way through to execution. The discussion will include the types of commercial leases, key provisions (both generally and specific to a brewery business), and practical tips for negotiation and dealing with disputes (in particular, disputes as to noises or odors). You ...
Mar 12, 2025•55 min
Kate, Judy & Mike with their business partners spearheaded The South Baltimore Brewery District, a grassroots and self-funded initiative between Pickett Brewing, Wico Street Beer Co., Checkerspot Brewing, and M8 Beer Co.The breweries eye a future that amplifies collaboration in the craft alcohol community beyond Baltimore to the entire state of Maryland. After developing a joint marketing and social media strategy that includes “district days,” quarterly neighborhood clean-ups, as well as sm...
Mar 05, 2025•48 min
Join us as we dive into the essentials of dust collection in breweries and distilleries, including when it’s needed, how to implement it, and the latest advancements in the field. We’ll cover common questions about benefits, implementation options, and maintenance, while also exploring the new dust collection models recently introduced by ABM Equipment. Join us to learn more and ask your own questions! This webinar will explore the vital role of dust collection in breweries and distilleries, cov...
Feb 26, 2025•34 min
Experiential tourism is on the rise, and breweries have a unique opportunity to become must-visit destinations for travelers. This session dives into how breweries can attract new customers, build lasting relationships, and create memorable guest experiences with the help of Harvest Hosts. Join Harvest Hosts employees as they share insider tips and real-world success stories from breweries already leveraging the program. Learn how Harvest Hosts connects breweries with RV travelers who are eager ...
Feb 19, 2025•36 min
Buzzwords like "biotransformation" and "thiolized" are thrown around a lot in modern hop forward brewing techniques and products, but what is actually happening during fermentation that makes these aromatic compounds shine? The goal is to get the most terpenes and thiols possible out of your hops, and by learning about the complex mechanisms responsible we can harness the power of yeast to maximize your beers potential. Kyle Somers (he/him) is the Technical Sales Manager for California and the W...
Feb 12, 2025•45 min
In a rapidly shifting market, breweries face the challenge of adapting to survive. This talk explores how thoughtful, strategic branding and package design can be a lifeline, helping breweries make the right moves to reach their target audience. We’ll discuss the value of brand audits to leverage existing equity, identify smart improvement areas, and make informed decisions on hiring the right designer. Discover how investing in design—even when budgets are tight—can strengthen brand presence, f...
Feb 05, 2025•38 min
As more Gen Z consumers reach drinking age each year, breweries face the question: how can they attract this new audience to craft beverages? To effectively appeal to Gen Z, it’s essential to understand their values, drinking habits, and experiences they prioritize—and how these differ from those of previous generations, like millennials. This panel will explore Gen Z’s top priorities in a brand, such as transparency, eco-conscious practices, and community involvement, and how these values can g...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr 3 min
In our "What's Going on in..." series we partner with State Guilds to spotlight their current successes, challenges, and trends. There is so much we can learn from one another and we hope these conversations can provide you with valuable insights applicable to your state. Next up: Ohio This conversation features: Carmone Macfarlane (The Phoenix Brewing Co.) John Haggerty (Warped Wing Brewing Co.) Justin Hemminger (Ohio Craft Brewers Association) Mary MacDonald (Ohio Craft Brewers Association) St...
Jan 22, 2025•54 min
Though separated by over 2,500 miles, Coastal Fermentory and Loose Screw Beer Co. share similar experiences as they work toward the October 2024 openings of their second taprooms. In the first half of our conversation, we’ll explore the challenges, processes, successes, and surprises they encountered before serving a pint. In the second half, we’ll examine how their expectations have matched up to the reality of expansion. Whether you're considering adding a new taproom, currently in the process...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 1 min
PART 2 Beer is local. In our quest for success, the most impactful efforts often start in your brewery’s own backyard. As our industry evolves, there is immense value in having a local guild to advocate for, support, and provide resources to your area’s breweries. This session will explore the fundamentals of starting a local guild from the ground up and strategies for actively engaging its members. Our guests—experienced guild leaders—will share how they’ve united their beer communities, discus...
Jan 08, 2025•57 min
In today's dynamic craft beer industry, diversifying revenue streams is more important than ever. As the Director of Business Development for promotional product company, Shore Up Supply, Emily Neville has seen firsthand how the right merch presented and marketed in the right way can be a consistent profit stream for breweries who choose to invest in it. Still, with thousands of items to choose from and exponentially more color and design decisions, it may seem daunting to broach the topic at al...
Dec 31, 2024•40 min
Join us to learn how to make the most of your specialty grains to reduce costs and improve brewhouse efficiency. The industry is more cognizant of finances, and in this session, you will learn how to use brewing ingredients both more sustainably and innovatively. We will focus closely on alternative techniques as well as sustainable practices. Walk away with actionable insights to enhance your brewing process and bottom line. Country Malt Group is your one stop shop for your everyday brewing and...
Dec 24, 2024•54 min
Join a conversation about what Smart Buying is, why it's important, and how you can start implementing it at your brewery this month. It's not something that happens overnight, but we walk through a few real-world examples of changes breweries have made to start Smart Buying and how it saved them money. We'll also focus on a few ways you can start to implement your program and train your staff to do the same. Questions are welcome about things you might be facing when it comes to brewery buying....
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr
Revenue is the most important part of your business! When revenue comes in consistently and automatically every month you have achieved taproom nirvana! In this session we will do a deep dive into 3 highly successful modern taproom membership programs that add cash to the bottom line every month! Learn what works best to get people signed up. What brings guests back most often. And what is most profitable! You will leave this session with everything you need to refresh your existing program or s...
Dec 11, 2024•35 min
Buying for your brewery can either be time consuming, costly, frustrating or all of the above. We’ll go over 3 ways to buy smarter and see measurable savings. We’ll also review how to save time in the process, which can be just as valuable to team running a brewery today. The outcome is techniques you can apply in the coming months at your brewery. We’ll also cover a few examples of some recent success from different sized breweries applying these same buying practices. My name is Dan Klasen and...
Dec 04, 2024•45 min
