Craft Beer Professionals

There are only 2 types of breweries: 1) Those who have had quality issues 2) Those who have had quality issues but didn't know it We all try to prevent quality issues, however, it happens to us all. What is commonly overlooked, what do I do when I have a quality problem? How do I control the damage? What should I do with the beer? What do I do next? Escarpment cofounder Nate Ferguson has been working in the beer industry for nearly a decade, mainly focusing on microbiological Quality Control and Quality Assurance which is what he teaches at Niagara College for the Brewmaster Program. Nate is our creative and technical wizard and always finds ways to solve challenging technical problems in-house and for clients. Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

After a year's worth of analyzing customer reviews, CBAS has bucketed six distinct craft beer consumer personas. This presentation will dive into what matters to each persona - ranging from things like service speed to parking availability. After a deep dive on the different types of consumers, we'll explore the audience at different types of taprooms. We know the experiences at a nanobrewery will be different than a regional, but this presentation will help breweries understand who is going where. Above all, we'll learn about what motivates return visits no matter what type of taproom you operate!   Learn more: https://craftbeeradvisoryservices.com/research-membership/ Join us in-person for CBP Connects in 2023 Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

Beer styles are a bit polarizing. They are sometimes viewed as rules brewers ought to follow or information reserved for the elite. In this presentation, Jeremy and Julia will share that styles are meant to serve, not separate, and that everyone should develop their own sense of beer style.   Once upon a time Jeremy Storton didn’t know the difference between an ESB and an IPA. Now he’s an Advanced Cicerone®, IBD certified brewer, BJCP judge, beer educator, freelance mixed-media content producer, and an award-winning beer writer and host of the Good Beer Matters Podcast. He recently moved back to the Northwest to thoroughly research post outdoor activity beer pairings.    Julia Herz is executive director of the American Homebrewers Association® (AHA)—the nation’s largest hobbyist not for profit organization for homebrewers and fermented beverages. Learn more about Sense of Beer Style. Join us in-person for CBP Connects in 2023 Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

Craft beer is all about relationships, with your guests, with your neighbors, with your brewing community, and with your suppliers. However, we do often talk about the value of building a relationship with your local government. In this conversation, we will discuss the value of engaging with your local government, strategies for mutual success, and how it can ultimately help solidify your brewery's position as leader in your area.   This conversation features:   Andrea Arnold - Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp  Leah Rainis - 12 Bones Brewing/former Asheville Brewers Alliance  Lucious Wilson - Wedge Brewing Company  Meg McKenna - Visit Milwaukee  Seth Morgan - Denton County Brewing Company  Tranice Watts - Lifting Lucy/Patuxent Brewing   Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking  Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023  Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

There’s a huge difference between good service and a good guest experience. It’s challenging enough to ensure your guests are greeted in a timely manner, their orders taken quickly, drinks never run dry, and their bill received and closed on time. These service steps are absolutely critical, but do very little to combat a negative first impression. Standards for service are increasing at a rapid pace as patience of our guests wanes, so is it time to pivot our focus away from basic tasks and focus more heavily on our presence with guests? In this session we will cover:   QR Code Ordering - Pros & Cons for the Brewery Credit Card PCI Compliance (Chip vs Swipe) "Keeping the Human Touch" using technology for a better guest experience Kitchen & Pop-Up Order Efficiency through KDS SMS Texting in Guest Ordering Comprehensive Guest-Facing Beer Menus Using Order Variants to Reduce Beer Excise Tax This conversation features: Brent Hernandez (Redlight Redlight Craft Beer Bar), Doug Cleary (GoTab), Patricia Mejia (GoTab), Rick Malthaner (GoTab) Join us in-person for CBP Connects in 2023 Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

You and your employees' social, mental and physical wellbeing matter.  The craft beer industry is in a time of reckoning with an all-time record of people leaving their jobs, and employers struggling to fill vacant roles. 1 in 5 employees left a job at some point in their career because of its toxic organizational culture. By one estimate, employee turnover triggered by a toxic culture cost U.S. employers nearly $50 billion per year pre-pandemic.   What makes a brewery’s culture toxic is often the elevated levels of stress, burnout, mental health issues and pain experienced at work or as a result of their work. While these types of experiences are often common, they are not talked about by and among peers in craft beer. The consequences of the endured pain and silence lead to disengagement in many forms.   Two leaders in craft beer share their honest stories of quitting - leaving toxic behaviours, routines, and craft brewery cultures and finding their way to a balanced way of life working inside and living outside of craft beer. Where their identities are more than what they drink or the brewery they work for. Dana Kaluzny (she/her) is a Facilitator, bringing people together for projects that matter and the Co-Owner and Founder of Endswell Beer, a small-batch brewery for people who love beer with people in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. Tom Halaska has almost 30 years of Food & Beverage experience, and community has always been at the heart of his programming. Currently the National Sales Director for Ritual Zero Proof Spirits, Tom’s focus is now on helping bar and restaurant owners to create a more inclusive beverage program for the modern drinker. Prior to his current role, as Global Brand Manager, Tom not only lifted WellBeing Brewing Company to the top of the Craft NA Beer category, but also helped create the national category itself. Join us in-person for CBP Connects in 2023 Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

Brewers pose unique challenges when it comes to carbon dioxide in the workplace. While CO2 is a necessary product in the brewery process, exposure to high concentrations can be life-threatening.    While normal CO2 concentrations tend to be around 400-800ppm, the case of CO2 off-gassing or a CO2 leak can quickly reach 50,000ppm (5% CO2 by volume). This is above the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) evacuation threshold of 30,000ppm or 3% CO2 by volume.   As an expert on Carbon Dioxide and Safety, CO2Meter provides the 5 best safety tips to protect against CO2 leaks for yourself, your employees, or your brewery.   Josh Pringle is the Vice President of Business Development and Operations for CO2Meter, Inc. CO2Meter designs and manufactures gas detection, monitoring, and analytical devices. Josh is recognized internationally as an expert in CO2 monitoring and carbon dioxide gas.  He presents more than two dozen times per year on the science of CO2, codes and regulations, and monitoring to a variety of industry experts and organizations wanting to upskill and educate. Join us in-person for CBP Connects in 2023 Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

Join this panel discussion with Pneumatic Scale Angelus, ABS Commercial, and MacKinnon Brothers Brewing for a conversation on “From Grain to Package.”  PSA’s Mike Davis and Elden Rowland join Alex Smith, Lead Brewery Consultant with ABS/Raleigh Brewing and Dan MacKinnon, Co-Owner and Brew Master of MacKinnon Brothers Brewing to talk about the journey from a passion for brewing beer to building a successful brewing business to packaging the final product to get it to the consumers who enjoy the fruits of that labor. Huge thanks to both ABS Commercial and Pneumatic Scale Angelus for their support to CBP. Join us in-person for CBP Connects in 2023 Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

When you think about the ultimate tap room, assuming excellent beer, where does your mind go? To beer draft lines and glassware? To the comfort of the tables and chairs? To great service or ambiance?   Whether you’re just opening your tap room or looking to give your existing tap room a boost, our panelists from Start A Brewery will bring you actionable steps based on their years in the industry. Magic? Well, more inspiration and insight plus a little bit of planning.   Join us as we talk shop – your shop – and look at tap rooms with a slightly different perspective.   Your panel: Dustin Hauck, Principal at Hauck Architecture Misty Gordon, Multimedia Graphic Design Artist for Misty Gordon Creative Nancy Trigg, President and CPO of Arryved Ren Navarro, Owner/Operator at Beer. Diversity Ben Weston, Head Honcho at Hoptown Handles Andrew Coplon, Founder of Craft Beer Professionals/Secret Hopper Laura Lodge, Co-Host/Moderator: Co-Founder of Start A Brewery, Owner/Strategic Advisor at Customized Craft Beer Programs, Author of Distribution Insight for the Craft Brewer, and President/Executive Director for the Big Beers Educational Foundation. Join us in-person for CBP Connects in 2023 Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

It’s been almost two years since our eyes were opened to some of the toxic behaviors common in brewing culture. While awareness was the first step in building a new culture, we still have work to do to take care of one another and heal. Fortunately, you (the people who work in the industry) are primely positioned to make that happen! Safe Bars will guide you in this interactive experience to illustrate why we still need to invest in safer spaces to bring about much-needed change, and equip you with tools to take action. In this workshop we’ll build the ideal taproom culture. The reckoning has us all talking about the changes we need to make to ensure that all people who celebrate with us feel seen, respected, and protected. We will build that environment and experience how it feels so you can recreate it in your establishment. Amie Ward, Executive Director, Safe Bars Alana Koenig-Busey (she/her) is the JEDI Project Coordinator at Crafted For All, a professional development platform that fosters inclusive, equitable, and just spaces and experiences in the craft beverage sector. She also works as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Project Coordinator at the Brewers Association (BA), directing the BA Mentorship and DEI Mini-Grant programs. Alana has a background in beverage hospitality management and a professional certification in human resources, SHRM-CP. She also provides training in safe alcohol service through TIPS and bystander intervention through Safe Bars. Sign the Safe Bars P.A.C.T. and make a long-term commitment to establishing safer, more respectful work and drinking spaces for employees and consumers. Join us in-person for CBP Connects in 2023 Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/