Why Should I Go to the California Craft Beer Summit? Mock schedules released for everyone who works with craft beer, serves craft beer or loves craft beer
Step one: Get tickets today!
Step two: Plan your schedule! Check out the line-up of opportunities below!
The Summit is for… Beer Lovers!
Did you know we have tracks specifically for beer and food lovers? We recommend you check out a Friday Day Pass. Why? Tastings and food pairings and beer flavored experiences all day! Don’t miss these sessions and experiences:
- In the morning, check out these educational classes starting at 9 a.m.
- How to Talk about Beer and Food Pairings with Dr. Bill Sysak of Wild Barrel Brewing Co.
- A Brief History of Beer Trends with Mike Moore
- In the afternoon, wander an interactive expo hall and taste beer from seven regions across the state throughout the day, plus sample beer and food pairings from 12 breweries and restaurants in our “Brewed for Food” section of the hall. Then, take a seat and listen to the following talks as you sip on your beers:
- Forty Years and a Lifetime of Stories with Dr. Charlie Bamforth of UC Davis
- Take Your Homebrewed Beer from Good to Great with Jamil Zainasheff of Heretic Brewing Co.
- Beer and Food Pairing Demonstrations from Taylor’s Kitchen, Mulvaney’s B&L and Chef Mike Almos who will be cooking with beer ingredients
The Summit is for… Brewers!
There is just too much to select from if you work at a brewery! Start your day on Thursday, September 6 with a big picture look at the industry, transition through the technical brewing track to learn how to benchmark for quality or manage your sour barrel program. Sit down with a beer on the expo hall floor in the afternoon to hear inspirational talks from Richard Norgrove, Jr., John Martin and Greg Koch. Check out the sensory program for breweries on Friday September 7 and then take a fun look at the history of Nordic Beer Styles. Walk through the expo hall floor on Friday afternoon, tasting beer and food pairings, smelling grains and hops and even interacting with yeast on the floor of the expo hall, sitting together with your industry family for a TapTalk by Dr. Charlie Bamforth and ending the day at a Brewers VIP Reception. How does that sound?
The Summit is for… Brewery Owners!
As a brewery owner in California, it’s important for you to understand what’s going on across the state and nation and prepare your business planning to adapt to the dynamic craft beer industry. Starting with a talk from Bart Watson, moving through a seminar on creative licensing, building distributor partnerships, applying sales data to your brewery and business planning process or exploring the world of beer exports… and that’s just day one! Check out the sessions on cannabis, taproom management, financial planning, craft malts and business expansion on day two. . .
The Summit is for… Beer Bar / Restaurant Owners (and staff)!
If you are coming to eat and drink, you’re in the right place. If you’re coming to learn, have we got some news for you! Check out what we recommend you see at the Summit this year:
- Off-Flavor Tasting for Beer Buyers
- Sensory Training and Analysis
- Perspectives on a Changing Retail Environment
- How to Talk about Beer and Food Pairings
- A Brief History of Beer Trends
- The Distinguishing Characteristics of California Craft Malt
Plus, wander the expo floor to meeting hundreds of brewers and brewery owners from across the state, taste beers from regions throughout California, experience elevated “Brewed for Food” beer and food pairings prepared by 17 restaurants and meet the distributors that service your bar or restaurant and taste what they have to offer.
The Summit is for… Distributors!
As critically important partners to breweries in California and across the nation, we’ve provided content specific to help grow relationships and increase sales for our distributor partners! Check out the list of sessions we think you should be a part of:
- State of the Industry with Bart Watson
- How to Read and Apply Retail and Sales Data
- Perspectives on a Changing Retail Environment
- Building Brewery and Distributor Relationships that Increase Sales
- Selling Craft Beer with JB Shireman
- Marketing Your Brands
- Meet the Distributors – this session is a meet and greet sessions for distributors and breweries throughout the day! Call CCBA to get your organization involved!
