Craft Beer Professionals

We can’t wait to share beers and see you in person in Philadelphia. We kick off CBC Week with our Welcome Party on April 20 at Yards Brewing Company.RSVP: https://craftbeerprofessionals.org/philly-rsvp/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 a couple Philly locals and strategies to make the most of the conference.This conversation features:Dana Martin (Yards Brewing Company)David Poimboeuf (WHC Lab)Evan Blum (BrewedAt)Pulkit K. Agrawal (Beer30 by the 5th Ingredient)Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies:https://cbpconnects.com/

Self-distribution gives breweries the opportunity to take control of their growth, margins, and brand experience. It also comes with unique challenges. BrewMan has helped Breweries across the globe self-distribute successfully. In this presentation we will share a practical, insight-driven advice designed to help breweries build and run an effective self-distribution operation with confidence.This session explores the key elements of successful self-distribution, from optimizing customer data and to setting up smart delivery routes. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how to balance sales, logistics, and compliance while maintaining consistent service and product quality.BrewMan shares real-world experience and proven strategies to help breweries improve efficiency, avoid common pitfalls, and develop a distribution model that supports long-term growth. The presentation focuses on actionable ideas, whether you are launching self-distribution for the first time or refining an established approach.Ideal for brewery owners, managers, and sales teams, this session provides the knowledge and practical tools needed to make self-distribution a sustainable and profitable part of your business. Attendees will leave with a clearer roadmap for strengthening their distribution strategy and expanding their market reach.James Gardner is the CEO of Premier Systems Ltd, the developer of BrewMan brewery management software used by hundreds of breweries worldwide. With a strong background in brewery technology and operations, James is very hands-on and works closely with brewers to help them streamline production, distribution, stock control, and business management through practical software solutions.Premier Systems has been providing specialist business software for the brewing industry for decades, with BrewMan offering integrated tools for inventory management, TTB reporting, CRM, and distribution planning.James is passionate about helping breweries operate more efficiently and grow sustainably, combining industry knowledge with technology to support brewers of all sizes.Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

If you're an established Brewery Owner, Operator, or Investor and find yourself asking either "How do we get profitable?" or "How profitable can we get?" you'll find exactly those answers in this session.With a wide range of different brewery types and sizes, true apples-to-apples comparisons are rare, and many owners end up flying blind, running the business with a finger to the wind. Instead, in this session we’ll use our Brewery Benchmarks Model, built on data from our work with 285+ breweries across the country, to give clarity on the most important financial benchmarks brewery owners need to know.By the end of the session, you’ll know how you compare to your peers, where your biggest profit opportunities are, and how to avoid the mistakes most common to your model. Our goal is to help eliminate the guesswork, so you can make confident decisions and run a profitable business, regardless of size, age, or market conditions.Chris Farmand got his start in 2010 helping a new brewery build its back-office systems, a firsthand look at how complex running a brewery can be. That experience led him to found Small Batch Standard. He’s worked with more than 200 breweries, helping them uncover profit through outsourced accounting, tax compliance, and benchmark consulting. Chris holds a BS in Business Finance from the University of Florida and an MBA from the University of North Florida, and is an active member of both the AICPA and FICPA.Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame is proud to announce its 2026 group of inductees. This highly anticipated event will celebrate the trailblazers, innovators, and visionaries who have made significant contributions to the craft beer movement in the United States.The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame was established to recognize and celebrate those who have significantly contributed to the evolution of craft beer in the United States. From brewers to advocates, to educators and entrepreneurs, the Hall of Fame honors individuals and organizations whose dedication and innovations have shaped the American craft beer landscape through the decades. For more information, please visit the Hall's website: https://www.americancraftbeerhalloffame.com/

In our “What’s Going on in…” series, we partner with State Guilds to spotlight current successes, challenges, and trends in their beer communities. There’s so much we can learn from each other, and these conversations are designed to give you valuable insights that can be applied in your own state.Next up: ArizonaThis conversation features:Andrew Bauman (Arizona Craft Brewers Guild)Mitch Penney (Parry's Pizzeria and Taphouse)Ryan Whitten (8-Bit Aleworks)Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

Join us for a live conversation with Maddison Violet, co owner of Ve Oh Lay Acres Winery and Farm in Canada’s Okanagan region. We will explore her journey from barback to opening a multimillion dollar winery, the tasting room experience her team has built, and how their non alcoholic wine line is driving new growth. Maddison will also share the strategies she uses to grow both personally and professionally. This conversation looks beyond the beer bubble to bring a fresh perspective from a different but closely related corner of the beverage world.Maddison Violet is a winemaker and beverage entrepreneur captivated by the intersection of thoughtful craft, hospitality, and innovation. With experience ranging from harvests in New Zealand and Australia to building Ve Oh Lay Acres Winery and Farm in the Okanagan, she has carved a path that blends unforgettable drinks with building dynamic brands people connect with.She has been recognized as a IWSC WSET Future 50 Under 40, Business Elites Top 40 Under 40, Penticton Top 40 Under 40, and Kelowna Women in Business Woman of the Year finalist. Her journey spans from starting as a barback at 21, to opening a multimillion dollar winery by 29, to now pioneering Muse, Canada’s most innovative non alcoholic wine brand with a functional beverage spinoff.Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

More butts in seats, stronger loyalty, and a clearer picture of who your guests really are. What started as the Charlottesville Ale Trail has evolved into a passport program that helps beer trails move beyond simple maps and into measurable taproom traffic. In this conversation, we’ll walk through how to set up and sustain a passport program that breweries want to participate in and guests are excited to use. We’ll cover engagement tactics, the data you can collect along the way, and how these programs can support economic impact stories and grant applications.Todd Wickersty is the Executive Director of the Charlottesville Ale Trail and co-founder of LoyalBrew, a digital passport platform designed for food and beverage trails. He helped launch the Charlottesville Ale Trail in 2018 and continues to lead its growth and community partnerships eight years later. During the pandemic, Todd and his business partner created a digital passport for the Ale Trail to help local breweries stay connected with visitors. That innovation evolved into LoyalBrew, now used by tourism organizations and beverage trails across the country to inspire exploration and support small businesses.Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

Marty Nachel has been a familiar name in craft beer for decades as a writer, judge, educator, and someone who has logged visits to more than six hundred breweries. He just released The Beer Story Project, a collection of memories and moments from more than a hundred people who have lived through the rise of American craft beer. The book captures the personalities, crossroads, and behind the scenes stories that helped shape the industry we work in today. In our conversation, we will dig into why he put this project together.Marty Nachel has spent nearly four decades shaping how we understand beer. He is a certified judge, award winning writer, and respected educator whose career includes judging at the Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup, and international competitions across three continents. Marty has authored several influential books including Beer for Dummies, Homebrewing for Dummies, and The Beer Story Project. He has also taught craft beer courses, trained industry teams, and founded the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

When brewing, you follow a scientific process. You know what yeast characteristics will yield what flavor profiles, and how to intervene if fermentation isn’t progressing properly. Why should the people side of your business be any different? This session will serve as a crash course in evidence-based, repeatable best practices for selecting employees with the right traits, skills, attitudes, and competencies to help you meet your business objectives.We’ll cover how to:• Find the perfect recipe: discuss how to determine which combination of knowledge, skills, abilities, and attributes are most important in your key roles.• Gather your equipment: review various selection methods (interviewing, assessments, etc.), and learn the strengths, limitations, and appropriate uses of each• Take measurements: Investigate various methods and metrics for measuring and quantifying the impact of your selection strategy to your operational budget.As a measurement strategist, Whitney Martin’s passion and expertise lies in the field of surveys and assessments. A self-professed “data nerd,” Whitney has a Master’s degree in the area of Human Resources Measurement and Evaluation and has conducted extensive research on the predictive validity of various hiring assessment strategies.Thanks to over a decade functioning as a “vendor-agnostic” consultant, Whitney provides a unique perspective on the broad landscape of the testing and assessment industry, and employee selection strategies, in general. She is a firm believer that there are no one-size-fits-all “best” products, and that tools and vendors should be selected based on their ability to solve a specific problem. She spends much of her time studying the available tools in the marketplace, scrutinizing the science, and analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, and appropriate uses for each.Whitney has been a highly rated speaker at several National HR Conferences and has authored articles on assessments for several books and publications, including Harvard Business Review. She is a member of the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and has two decades of experience working in the assessment industry.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

Pilot Project was created to support talented brewers in an industry with exceptionally high barriers to entry. Modeled after the music industry, Pilot helps launch and scale start up breweries by supporting recipe development, production scaling, business operations, marketing, distribution, and more. In this live conversation, Pilot Project co-founder Dan Abel will share how this model came to life, how it continues to evolve, and how he is working to change the structure of the brewing industry while offering insight into what’s next for both Pilot and beer more broadly.Since its inception, Pilot Project has helped launch 20 beverage brands, including nationally recognized names like women founded Luna Bay Hard Kombucha and ROVM Hard Kombucha, Black owned Funkytown Brewery, travel inspired Brewer’s Kitchen, Indian led Azadi Brewing, Donna’s Pickle Beer, and others. Pilot has also supported Mash Gang’s expansion to the US from the UK and helped bring Mexico City based Cerveceria Paracaidista stateside. Today, Pilot operates breweries and tasting rooms in Chicago and Milwaukee, including a 70,000 square foot Milwaukee facility acquired following an $8M expansion focused seed round, plus a newly opened second Chicago location in Wrigleyville. Most recently, Pilot’s non alcoholic brand Years announced a partnership with John Mulaney.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

Starting or maintaining a kitchen in your brewery is challenging...and that's an understatement. But a lot of the data is showing that adding or maintaining food options ( beside a small bag of pretzels) is key to longevity and profitability. But many brewers are finding that instead of being in the brewery business, they are now in the hospitality business and they never thought they would have a restaurant or Kitchen. We talk with Alexis & Scott from JBH Advisory about all the things that someone should be looking into before opening their kitchen. Staff, equipment, layout, menu, and more. The good news is that running a restaurant is a well worn business model and there are lot of lessons learned. The bad news, learning those lessons while operating your business can be extremely costly and end up costing you the business if you are not careful.Dan Klasen, Founder of Beverage Federation. Years of experience now in craft beverage space, Dan has been helping breweries with their buying decisions. Dan will be asking our experts the questions he has been getting for years on when and how should I open up a kitchen in my brewery.Scott Swiger, VP of business development and Brian Berger, principal at JBH Advisory Group. With 40 years of restaurant and food service experience between the two of them, they have been helping owners stand up kitchens for years.The JBH Advisory Group is comprised of seasoned professionals with a deep and unique understanding of the hospitality, contract services and support services sectors. Their team experience is broad, ranging from hospital food & nutrition to restaurant transactional due diligence; from restaurant concept development to environmental services. Their specialists in their areas of expertise, including skills such as cost management, labor analysis, operational efficiencies and service excellence.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

In a rapidly changing craft beer landscape, many breweries are rediscovering what made this industry thrive in the first place: connection, creativity, and community. This session explores how breweries are adapting to tighter margins, shifting consumer habits, and increased competition by leaning into collaboration rather than competition.Drawing from Brew Ninja’s behind-the-scenes perspective working with breweries across North America, we’ll look at real examples of how teams are partnering with other producers, diversifying their offerings, and re-imagining their taprooms.Brew Ninja is the complete, affordable and easy to use brewery management software. With Brew Ninja your team gets time back to focus on what they do best.Brewers are on top of production schedules and inventory, ensuring you never run dry or overproduce. Sales teams have real time access to accurate inventory, meaning they can close deals faster without endless back and forth. Owners see margins and profitability with just a few clicks, and your whole team communicates seamlessly.Bronwyn Lloyd, Brew Ninja’s Onboarding & Marketing Specialist, has worked with breweries across North America for the past three years — helping teams improve operational efficiency through better access to information and simpler workflows, while learning firsthand from the brewers shaping the future of the craft beer industry.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.orgRegister for The Brewery Profit Workshop by Small Batch Standard: https://luma.com/SBSprofitworkshop

Every brewery has them — the late arrivals, the heated arguments, the performance dips that make you wonder what to do next. In this session, we’ll walk through common “oh no” employee situations and show you how to address them in a fair, consistent way. You’ll also learn simple documentation practices that protect your business from costly legal headaches, without adding piles of paperwork.Bailey Borzecki is the founder of Golden Hour Consulting, an Austin-based firm specializing in leadership development and HR strategy for craft beverage and hospitality brands. With 15 years in the industry, including HR and leadership roles at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Boston Beer Company, Bailey has guided breweries through growth, culture shifts, and organizational change. Bailey is one half of a beer power couple and would love for you to ask her about her other half, the Buffalo Bills or her golden retriever, Murphy.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org/

Your brewery has a story to tell; actually, it probably has quite a few of them. Those stories are what hook potential fans and help them and your established followers buy into what makes your brewery unique, but how do you get those stories in front of the people who will connect to them? Maintaining a list of news outlets and reporters to send your press releases about new beers, upcoming events, and other timely news pieces is an important part of your media strategy, but it shouldn’t be the only part. Many writers who cover craft beer and the artisan food and beverage world don’t necessarily cover these news pieces, but might want to dive into the deeper stories of what your brewery is all about. But how do you identify what those stories are, and how do you build relationships with these writers?In this talk, North American Guild of Beer Writers and British Guild of Beer Writers award-winner David Nilsen will talk about what catches his attention when seeking out stories, how breweries can identify the stories that already exist within their company, and how they can communicate these stories to writers efficiently and effectively.David Nilsen (he/him) is a full-time beer writer and educator living near Dayton, Ohio. He's an Advanced Cicerone© and an award-winning member of the North American Guild of Beer Writers and British Guild of Beer Writers. He hosts the Bean to Barstool podcast, and is the author of the book Pairing Beer & Chocolate. He’s the co-founder and editor of Final Gravity, a print zine telling personal, human-centered stories from the world of beer. You can find him online at davidnilsenbeer.com and on Bluesky and Instagram as @davidnilsenbeer.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

Navigating wage-and-hour laws can sometimes feel like running a brewery during Oktoberfest—busy, complex, and full of moving parts. With local, state, and federal rules often foaming over into each other, it’s easy for even the most diligent employers to find themselves with a compliance hangover.As your business grows, whether you’re just tapping your first keg or you’ve been pouring for years, wage-and-hour issues can sneak up like an unexpected aftertaste. Compensation structures, pay practices, and employee policies that once seemed straightforward can become muddled, especially when expansion brings new faces and new challenges. What starts as a small spill can quickly turn into a bigger mess, affecting more employees and opening the door to costly claims.This session will highlight five common wage-and-hour mistakes that can leave employers feeling flat and offer practical ways to keep your operations crisp and compliant. We’ll cover timekeeping best practices, how to handle bonuses and commissions for hourly staff, the tricky business of classifying employees, managing work hours and breaks, and the use of independent contractors and temporary help.Along the way, we’ll share real-life examples and tips for keeping your workforce happy and your business out of hot water—so you can focus on brewing success, not legal headaches.After being exposed to Fair Labor Standards Act cases while clerking for a federal appellate court, A.J. began his legal career with a focus on developing an expertise in wage-and-hour compliance and litigation. That has led A.J. to a practice that spans the laws and courts of the country but centers on California’s uniquely challenging compliance and litigation landscape.A.J. takes a creative, pragmatic, and business-first approach to managing the defense of complex wage-and-hour class and collective actions, working with clients not only to identify the best path to an efficient and effective resolution but also to adjust problematic practices and policies in a way that accomplishes the client’s business goals while mitigating the risk of future claims. As a member of Husch Blackwell’s Food Systems industry unit, A.J. regularly advises food and beverage producers on employment law compliance.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org/

Payment processing shouldn’t be a mystery. This session offers a straightforward look at merchant services for taprooms of all sizes. Whether you’re launching your first location or reevaluating your current setup, you’ll learn what to consider when choosing a payment partner that fits your business goals.We’ll cover the basics of how merchant services work, compliant pricing programs, and the importance of clear, transparent fees. You’ll also explore omni-channel solutions that connect your taproom, web store, and events, and understand what quality service and support should look like when you need it most.You’ll leave with practical tools to make informed decisions that save money, reduce stress, and keep your taproom running smoothly.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org/

Tim Hohl founded Coin Toss Brewing in Oregon City, Oregon in March 2015 and ran it for almost nine years before selling in February 2024. The decision to sell started informally in May 2022 — a mix of burnout, financial pressure, and changing market conditions. After hiring a broker later that year, interest was slow. Tim also reached out directly to other brewery owners in the Northwest and had conversations with wholesale partners and a few loyal customers who wanted to keep the brand going. None of those discussions went anywhere. In late 2023, a serious buyer showed up. After weeks of negotiating, they shook hands before Thanksgiving and closed the deal three months later.What We'll Talk About:Why I decided to sell: When the idea first came up and what pushed me to actually do it. The real reasons: running low on cash, staffing problems after COVID, customers drinking less and spending differently, and just feeling stretched too thin.Getting ready to sell: What I wish I'd known going in. When to tell people (and when not to). Why selling to friends or regular customers gets complicated fast. Keeping expectations realistic without burning bridges.-The negotiation process: The emotional roller coaster of actually making a deal. What I learned about trust, timing, and when to walk away. How things change once it gets serious.Letting go: What it felt like the day it became real. The mix of relief, pride, and loss. How I made peace with it.What comes next: Figuring out who you are when you're not "the brewery owner" anymore. Staying connected to the community without being in it the same way. What success looks like now.Lessons for other owners: The practical stuff and the emotional stuff. What I'd do differently. What I'm glad I did.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org/

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 successful organizations. In this seminar, attendees will learn how to manage a product release like the Project that it is. Processes for obtaining approvals and buy-in from disparate departments, creating a timeline, coordinating actions in multiple silos for maximum effect, and following through for success will all be explained and demonstrated in detail.With more than a decade of sales, retail management, and business analytic experience in the craft beverage industry, Aaron MJ Gore loves the opportunities that he has every day to make a difference for small business owners across the country. He is the Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Beer30, one of the drinks industry's leading software providers, is a co-founder of the Court Shoes Only charitable collaboration beer, and serves as the Vice-President of the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame. He is an Advanced Cicerone, Certified Pommelier, Certified Cheese Scholar, WSET Level 2 Spirits Certified, and is (AF)(NA) Beer Certified. Additionally, he is an active industry advocate, public speaker, beer and cider educator, and the father of two daughters who are the true passion of his life.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org/

Join Matt Giffen, Founder and CEO of Bench Brewing, as he shares how sustainability has been part of their story since day one. Since opening in 2018, Bench has focused on “craft beverages with a conscience,” putting real action behind that idea. They’ve created a zero wastewater footprint with a closed-loop system that reuses every drop to water their hops and support nearby farms, repurposed spent grains, added solar panels and EV chargers, and earned both carbon neutral and BCorp certifications. Matt will talk about what it takes to build a brewery that puts the planet first, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and how those same ideas can work in any business.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org/

Breweries are being bombarded with promises about what AI can do—automate your marketing, write your contracts, even predict your next big seller. But in a highly regulated and deeply human business like craft beer, not all automation is worth the risk.In this session, alcohol law attorney John Szymankiewicz and fractional marketing strategist Madeline McMahon will walk attendees through real-world examples of how AI tools like ChatGPT, NotebookLM, and Prompt Cowboy can enhance—but not replace—your existing systems.From AI-generated marketing strategies that miss the mark on brand voice, to contract templates that ignore state-specific compliance requirements, attendees will learn where AI helps and where human judgment still matters. We’ll explore prompt engineering, compare AI- vs. human-reviewed content, and highlight simple ways small teams can experiment with these tools while avoiding common pitfalls.This session is designed for brewery owners, taproom managers, and in-house marketing leads who are curious about AI but don’t want to be burned by generic outputs. Whether you're using AI today or just trying to decide if it’s worth your time, this session will equip you with smarter questions to ask—and clearer boundaries to draw.Let’s cut through the hype and show you how to work with AI, not for it.Madeline McMahon, Fractional Marketing Strategist and founder of Madeline Fleehart Consulting, drives small business growth with practical, results-focused marketing strategies. The "#beerpaysthebills" hashtag captures a lively spirit rooted in the craft beer scene, even as today’s projects extend across various industries. By leveraging tools like ChatGPT, Madeline simplifies content creation, streamlines workflows, helps business owners set clear marketing performance indicators, and evaluates return on investment to ensure every effort counts. As an attorney at Beer Law Center, John Szymankiewicz ’s practice centers on the craft beverage industry. Handling everything from business formation to TTB/ABC, to trademark, and buying/selling an alcohol business, John works with clients to help them achieve their personal and business goals. John authored the book Beer Law: What Brewers Need to Know and is a Certified BJCP Judge, holds Level II Certifications in Wine and Beer from WSET, and is the country’s only alcohol attorney who is also a Certified Cicerone. John is based in Raleigh and practices in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org/