The Craft Brewers Conference continues to offer brewers an opportunity to learn more about how to efficiently and effectively operate their businesses and to increase sales and consumer satisfaction. Let’s look at five seminars you should consider attending.
Craft Beer Isn’t Dead: It’s Actually Where You Want To Be
Marketing & Branding and Statistics & Trends Tracks
Despite recent headlines, craft beer continues to show strength in key areas, if you know where to look. This session brings together industry professionals to examine data that highlights where beer is succeeding relative to wine and spirits, and how breweries can align with those trends. Panelists will explore the growth of specific beer styles, evolving consumer behaviors like “better-for-you” preferences, and how these shifts can be leveraged through product development, marketing, and branding. The conversation will also touch on packaging innovation and strategies for reaching younger consumers, including Gen Z. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, this panel aims to provide a grounded look at what’s working now, and how breweries of all sizes can respond with intention. For those interested in practical, data-informed approaches to navigating a changing marketplace, this session offers tools to better understand and adapt to where the opportunities lie.
Building THC Into Your Business: Production and Innovation of THC Beverages in a Brewery
Non-beer Beverage Production Track
As consumer interest in cannabis beverages grows, breweries are exploring how to integrate THC products into their operations. This panel brings together industry professionals with hands-on experience in the production of hemp-derived THC beverages to share insights and practical considerations for breweries entering the space. Topics will include sourcing cannabinoids, selecting appropriate emulsions, packaging and stability concerns, and navigating co-packing relationships. The session will also examine product development strategies, flavor and dosage trends, and current on- and off-premise sales data. Panelists will address frequently asked questions about cannabis production in brewery settings and offer guidance on compliance, safety, and promoting responsible consumption. Whether you’re actively developing a THC beverage or evaluating the opportunity, this session provides a grounded look at the challenges and opportunities facing breweries in this evolving segment.
Seat at the Table: State and Federal Issues Your Brewery Needs to Know
Government Affairs & Legal Track
Nearly every aspect of brewery operations, including ingredients, labeling, distribution, and retail, is shaped by legislation and regulation at both the state and federal levels. In this session, Marc Sorini, Vice President of Government Affairs at the Brewers Association, will provide an overview of the key legal and regulatory issues currently affecting breweries. The discussion will cover recent developments, emerging legislation, and how these changes may impact daily operations and long-term planning. Attendees will also gain a clearer understanding of how to engage with the policy process to protect and advocate for their business interests. This session is intended for brewery professionals looking to stay informed about the legal landscape and better navigate the regulatory environment in a rapidly evolving industry.
Having a Sense for Sensory: Incorporating Sensory Training into Your Beer Education Portfolio
Brewpubs & Taprooms Track
Sensory training is a valuable but often overlooked component of beer education in taproom and brewpub settings. While staff are commonly trained on beer styles, brewing processes, and proper service, sensory skills, including basic off-flavor identification, are frequently treated as optional. This session, led by Jen Blair and LaTreace Harris, will explore how to make sensory training a consistent and practical part of staff development and public education. The discussion will focus on accessible approaches to building sensory awareness, incorporating hands-on learning, and using partnerships with producers and culinary professionals to enrich training programs. Attendees will leave with ideas for implementing sensory education at varying levels of depth, tailored to different roles and motivations. This session is intended for those looking to enhance staff engagement, improve communication around beer flavor, and foster a deeper appreciation for beer among customers.
Evaluating the Behavior of Foodborne Pathogens in Packaged Non-Alcohol Beer Researcher Presentations
The CBC also provides a venue for researchers doing work relevant to the craft beer industry and offers them an opportunity to learn more about select topics and ask questions of the presenters. Roxana Navarro is a faculty research assistant at Oregon State University where she manages the Food Safety Systems Laboratory, which aims to help industries solve their food safety and spoilage related issues. Her research and educational focus areas include fermentation microbiology, and she has worked at Boston Beer as a new product developer for beyond beer products. As interest in non-alcoholic beer continues to grow, so does the need to understand its microbial safety, particularly during storage. In her research presentation, Navarro will share findings from a study evaluating how three foodborne pathogens, Salmonella, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, behave in both hopped and unhopped non-alcoholic beer stored at ambient and refrigerated temperatures. Unlike previous studies conducted with de-carbonated samples, this research preserves original carbonation to assess the potential influence of dissolved CO₂ on pathogen survival. Given the absence of alcohol and the relatively high pH of NA beer, understanding these dynamics is critical for producers focused on safety in packaged products. This session provides new data to inform risk assessment and storage protocols in the growing NA category.
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This article originally appeared on ProBrewer.com in April 2025. All About Beer’s parent company has a partnership with ProBrewer.com to create original content for that website. New articles appear each week and subsequently are reposted on AllAboutBeer.com.
