The annual Craft Brewers Conference, Brew Expo America, and World Beer Cup wrapped up last night in Indianapolis, putting a bow on the uncertain times that are facing US brewers. Worries about the Trump administration tariffs, shifting consumer tastes, and other headwinds were openly discussed among brewery employees and companies serving the industry.
I spent a few days exploring the city and talking with countless folks about their experiences, worries, and hopes. Here’s what I found.
The City
There was some head scratching when Indianapolis was chosen to host this gathering. There are other Midwest cities that are better known for their beer scenes, but the Circle City proved why it was worthy of hosting.
Breweries like Guggman Haus, Kismetic, and Chilly Water welcomed folks in and hosted events, all while showcasing their creativity and ingenuity. Sun King was the hub of action, hosting countless parties including the World Beer Cup judge reception (and the All About Beer podcasts) and a blowout circus-themed affair sponsored by brewing engineering company GEA.
Leading up to the event Sun King collaborated on nearly a dozen beers with well-known breweries that showcased its great skill with barrel-aging and creativity. A highlight was 3-Wheeled Stingray, a collab with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. The bock aged in gin, absinthe, and Grand Marnier barrels will live on happily in the memory of all who tried it.
Speaking of collabs, the conference beer had people talking. Brewers of the Corn is a lovely 5.5% ABV lager brewed with heirloom Edelweiss two-row barley and locally grown and malted Indiana corn from Sugar Creek Malt Co. It was then aged, briefly, in some of Sun King’s whiskey barrels that added a light, dry woody touch. This is the first time in a long time that I actually brought a beer home from the conference.
From hotel bars to high-end restaurants, Indiana brewed beer was not hard to find. Hoosiers have a lot of pride in their beer, and it was on display in a big way.
The conference moves to Philadelphia next year. That’s city steeped in beer tradition, but much like how Nashville wowed folks for the first time a few years ago, I suspect Indianapolis will be back on calendar in a few years.
The Educational Seminars
Dozens of seminars were offered over the course of the several days in Indianapolis. Well attended, and relevant to the times, folks left rooms buoyed and fired up. The Brewers Association, which puts on the conference has no shortage of proposed seminars each year. The group that selected the lineup for this year put real thought and attention into making the program rounded and in-depth.
The national talent that spends months preparing for these hour-long talks fully benefit the industry.
The Expo Floor
A little more than an hour after the doors opened on the first day, reps in some booths were sitting behind tables, scrolling phones, looking bored. Attendance seemed light at the conference this year and there wasn’t a lot of discretionary spending happening among attendees. One exhibitor compared the foot traffic to that of Denver in September 2021 when the Brew Expo America was held in the grip of COVID-19.
However, there was good energy on the floor by attendees. Where Las Vegas had a gloomy feel among attendees last year, those in Indianapolis seemed ready to face the industry headwinds.
Brewery owners seemed ready to make smart purchases on equipment and services that will help them emerge stronger on the other side of this economic turmoil – whenever it may be- and were working with suppliers who shared that vision.
One area with continuous foot traffic were the hop growers and supplier booths. RahrBSG had a slew of interesting beers on offer, but chief among them was a 100% Fonio beer that was delightfully fruity and could very much play into current consumer tastes.
Attendance being down wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. As one raw ingredient company rep told me, he was relieved that he hadn’t run into any customers that were already 90 days past paying invoices. Maybe those folks were saving some travel money to pay some bills.
The World Beer Cup
The week-long conference was capped off by the annual World Beer Cup awards. The Brewers Association said that 1,761 breweries from around the world entered 8,375 beers. There are more than 9,000 breweries in the US alone, so it’d be nice to see that number be higher. Cost to enter is a financial barrier for many breweries, and more than a few suggested that the BA would be doing a service by including complimentary entries to the competition included in membership dues (without the dues going up, of course). That might encourage folks to add a few more paid entries to their shipment.
Judges I spoke with said the quality of beer on the tables – especially in the first round – was strong. That’s a sign that brewers are taking quality and creativity seriously. More of that, please.
Onward
Nearly everyone I spoke with acknowledged the difficult times the industry is in and will face, but showed the determination, creativity, and passion that has fueled the craft beer industry for more than four decades. Anyone betting against beer in the long run is on the wrong side of the coin.
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