There is a great desire for knowledge in the current local beer climate, and that’s why when the name Beer-Con popped up on everybody’s radar months back, ears perked up. And after months of planning this first annual event, organizers delivered an educational, beer-filled day with two tracks of speakers, eight presentations total, plus a keynote, lunch and tap haven beer garden at The Handlery this past Saturday. I learned a lot, so I figured other people did too. So I asked, and here are some of their responses:
“I learned today a lot about how the beer distribution system is broken, and how that is hurting our craft brewers.” – Jay B., while drinking a Hess Ex-Umbris Stout
“I had never really thought about pairing beer and food until that talk with ‘Dr.’ Bill. Next time I go buy Oaked Arrogant Bastard, I’ll get some similar goat cheese because that was awesome.” – Kevin F., while drinking a Widmer Citra Blonde Summer Brew
“I found out you can pair IPA and carrot cake!” – Sarah D., while drinking an Iron Fist Renegade Blonde
“I like to brew my own beer and I’m a craft beer fan, but I’m not a fanatic. So I learned not all craft beer nerds look down on everybody else.” – Patrick S., while drinking a Ballast Point Sculpin
“From the keynote I found out more and more that craft brewers need to work together. If we want to succeed, we have to have uniqueness, a great story, quality, and better branding and marketing.” – Carlos J., while drinking a Hangar 24 Altbier
“I liked hearing from Greg Koch that for a brewery to really succeed we need to have unrealistic expectations, and often divorce ourselves from reality.” – Netza P., while drinking a Mission Amber
“From Greg’s talk I learned how breweries need to stand out and have personality and authenticity in order to have success.” – Andrea A., while drinking a Widmer Drifter Pale Ale
“Learning about all the beer styles was great. I’m a cook and a wino, so I liked finding out more about the flavor profiles in beer. My palate has been blown away today.” – Kelly C., while drinking a Green Flash Double Stout
Ok, a few things I learned? That “sumptuousness” is a word “Dr.” Bill uses effortlessly, that fish n’ chips go well with an English ESB (regionality), that you shouldn’t name a beer before it’s done (thanks Brandon Sieminski of Iron Fist), that there is a day in Napa called “Pinot Smackdown” – very similar in inspiration to the Twitter/Facebook-friendly #IPADay we just had in SD, a few tips and tricks on how to be a “homebrew hero” from Drew Beechum of legendary homebrew club Maltose Falcons, and that I’m ready for next year’s conference already.
For all the photos from Beer-Con, including the smiling faces of the names you read above, click on over to our Facebook.
Stay tuned this Friday 9/2 as we kick off “The Friday Five,” a new weekly web series where we ask a local craft beer industry member 5 questions, and who better to start with than Melani Gordon, Tap Hunter CEO & Co-founder / Beer-Con Organizer. Cheers!