Fall Virtual Conference 2025
Get Excited for the CBP Fall 2025 Virtual Conference
Not everyone has the opportunity to attend an in-person beer industry event, which is why we are proud to host two virtual conferences and make the content accessible to all. Pour yourself a cold one and enjoy our free educational sessions from the comfort of your own home, taproom, or brewhouse.
Thank you to our community of Craft Beer Professionals for your excitement, encouragement, and enjoyment of our event.
Huge thanks to TapWyse
Full Schedule
For session details, click the buttons below.
All times ET. All sessions 45 minutes.
Monday, October 6
presented by Small Batch Standard
Time (ET)
Monday, October 6
presented by TapWyse
11am
Session details…
A full taproom is a happy taproom, but gone are the days of “If you brew it, they will come.” We need new ideas and strategies. We need profitable marketing programs that are proven to put butts on barstools and make money!
This session is for micro to mid-size brewery owners, GMs, marketing managers and head janitors (because you do all these jobs) who want to implement 10X+ ROI marketing strategies at their breweries. We will look at the most profitable membership programs, proven ways to drive repeat visits and tactics to sell through aging beer more quickly.
No “pie-in-the-sky” or fluffy marketing ideas allowed. Just real-world examples, numbers & best practices. This way you can skip the guesswork and start implementing proven programs right away.
Whether your goal is to grow weekday traffic, launch a paid membership, or turn first-time guests into lifelong fans, you’ll leave with a clear action plan tailored to your brewery.
Ross Stensrud accidentally graduated from UCSD while studying lacrosse and spending plenty of time at O’Brien’s. After a brief stint designing pool cleaners (yes, really) in an effort to justify the cost of his degree, he pivoted and began recruiting smart friends to help build app marketing tech for local businesses—starting with music, then golf, and now craft beer with TapWyse. He lives in Carlsbad with his wife Laurel and their two boys, Roscoe (11) and Mason (9). When he’s not working, you’ll likely find him biking down PCH or shuttling his kids to basketball, golf, music, and skateboarding.
12pm
In today’s challenging beverage landscape, most breweries aren’t chasing overnight success as the next big regional or national player. Instead, growth comes from intentional moves that fit the business. In this panel, you’ll hear from owners who have expanded by adding kitchens, stepping away from distribution, and building private event programs — all without losing control. The right next step might not be bigger, just better for your business.
12:30pm
1pm
In this session we will dive into the world of hemp beverages, exploring the state of the industry, market trends, technical details, and, most importantly, giving you ample time to ask questions! Topics covered will include formulation considerations, production SOPs, navigating the regulatory landscape, and understanding what consumers want in a THC drink.
Attendees will leave the session with checklists to get you from formulation to launch, a rough outline of COGS and ROI modeling, and samples to begin developing a THC drink of your own.” “Ricky is the Revenue Director at Perfectly Dosed. He has worked with hundreds of breweries assess the viability of the hemp beverage market and ultimately scale their THC product lines to 10%+ net new revenue in less than a year. Breweries that work with Perfectly Dosed range from local taprooms to major regional craft breweries.
Perfectly Dosed makes ultra stable and affordable hemp emulsions. We’ve powered over one billion servings and our team of experts would be happy to help you launch and scale your hemp products.
1:30pm
There’s a lot of consolidation in the brewing industry right now. And, there are a lot of people looking to make an exit. We tell clients that, right now, it’s probably cheaper to buy a brewery than to start one. Whether you’re buying or selling there’re thing you need to think about and protections you need to have. From transaction structure to warranties to owner financing to employee issues, there’s a lot to think about. In this presentation we’ll give you best practices for evaluating and completing an alcohol producer/seller purchase or sale transaction.
As an attorney at Beer Law Center, John’s practice centers on the craft beverage industry. Handling everything from business formation to TTB/ABC, to trademark, and buying/selling an alcohol business, John works with clients to help them achieve their personal and business goals. John authored the book Beer Law: What Brewers Need to Know and is a Certified BJCP Judge, holds Level II Certifications in Wine and Beer from WSET, and is the country’s only alcohol attorney who is also a Certified Cicerone. John is based in Raleigh and practices in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
2pm
Hiring a whole sales team isn’t always realistic, but that doesn’t mean your growth has to stall. This session explores how independent beverage brands can scale sales using lean, digital-first strategies that replace manual processes with intelligent systems. You’ll learn how to blend brand storytelling, targeted marketing, and smart automation to boost both retail and wholesale revenue. Whether you’re self-distributing, working with a wholesaler, or selling direct-to-consumer, you’ll walk away with a practical plan to build a sustainable sales engine that doesn’t rely on cold calls or constant hustle. We’ll cover how to structure a digital sales strategy that complements in-person outreach, as well as how content, email, and automation can be leveraged to nurture leads, drive conversions, and foster long-term customer relationships. You’ll also learn how to generate and track qualified leads with the same tools used by successful, resource-conscious brands across the industry. If you’re an owner or operator looking to sell more without hiring a traditional sales team, this session will help you rethink your approach to sales, replace outdated tactics with effective ones, and provide a clear roadmap for driving revenue growth.
Julie Rhodes is a 20-year veteran of the food and beverage industry, the owner and operator of Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions, a fractional consulting and educational services company, and the co-founder of Kick Fizz, a low-dose hemp-infused beverage brand. She specializes in beverage sales, digital marketing, distributor management, and business strategy, helping craft beverage brands work smarter, not harder. A sought-after speaker, business journalist, and instructor for multiple university programs, Julie was named the 2023 Brewers Association Mentor of the Year. She is also an active member of numerous trade associations and state-level guilds.
2:30pm
For better or worse, the U.S. beer market is built on top of a sea of excise taxes, which every successful and compliant brewer must learn to navigate. As your brewery grows and enters more state markets, your overall excise tax burden only increases, adding to the confusion and risk of missing something. And, of course, each state has unique rules for how they apply and administer their excise tax systems. Understanding the ins and outs of this burden, from your federal liabilities to the rules of the individual states is critical when expanding your sales footprint across the U.S. Come hear regulatory expert Alex Koral of Sovos ShipCompliant provide a review of the different excise tax rules and scenarios that brewers face.
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Alex Koral is Regulatory General Counsel for Sovos ShipCompliant, where he serves as lead legal researcher for beverage alcohol regulation and has become a leading expert on interstate distribution of alcohol. He has spoken on the topic at many industry events including the Craft Beer Professionals Virtual Conferences, Craft Brewers Conference, American Craft Spirits Association Convention, as well as meetings for the National Council of State Liquor Administrators and the National Liquor Law Enforcement Association. Alex has been in the beverage alcohol arena since 2015, after receiving his J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School.
3pm
3:30pm
Your service staff is tasked with presenting your beers to customers in your taproom or brewpub, which makes each of them ad hoc members of your sales staff. They might be great bartenders or servers, but if they came to you from a restaurant or other hospitality background, they might not know much about beer, and we all know how quickly beer misinformation can spread.
Brewery owners are sometimes reluctant to invest time and money in a staff education program, fearing they’ll have to watch that investment walk out the door if an employee leaves a few months later. However, far more damaging than a trained employee who leaves is an untrained one who sticks around. You give your sales staff the information they need to get your beer into new account, and your service staff needs it to.
In this talk, Advanced Cicerone and beer educator David Nilsen will talk about the benefits of establishing a service-focused beer education program at your brewery and what does and doesn’t need to be included in the program.
David Nilsen (he/him) is a full-time beer writer and educator living near Dayton, Ohio. He’s an Advanced Cicerone© and an award-winning member of the North American Guild of Beer Writers and the British Guild of Beer Writers. He hosts the Bean to Barstool podcast, and is the author of the book Pairing Beer & Chocolate. He’s the co-founder and editor of Final Gravity, a print zine telling personal, human-centered stories from the world of beer. You can find him online at davidnilsenbeer.com and on Bluesky and Instagram as @davidnilsenbeer.
4pm
Business is consistent, staff is solid, cash flow is more than adequate, and I have a great idea/opportunity for another tap room….so should I do it? This feels like the ultimate question for the brewing industry right now, since a significant number of closings seem to be happening on the heels of a major expansion. So what are the best metrics to use when weighing this question (or) any type of major expansion?
We pulled together a panel of industry veterans with different backgrounds to see what their approach would be to this question. They are:
Dustin Hauck of Hauck Architecture looks at the industry through the lens of the budgets, building, infrastructure, and state/county/city regulations for 300+ breweries, and he’s got lists of considerations for you.
Erik Fowler of the San Diego Brewers Guild has traveled the country as an industry educator with brewing roots, and he’s now representing the interests of a very strong American brewing region. He’s seen brewing & business approaches of every stripe.
Kary Shumway of Beer Business Finance and Kary’s Financial Training has worked with many breweries facing this question, and he sees the world through spreadsheets with financial & growth metrics. Hard to argue with the numbers!
Join us for a deep dive into the search for that Golden Ticket. After all, breweries & chocolate factories have a lot in common!
5pm
We are experiencing an unprecedented talent crisis in the US. We are producing more jobs than we have workers to fill them, companies are now competing for talent across all industries – not just within their own. Engagement is at its lowest in almost 10 years and the expectations among Millennials and GenZ have created the long overdue awakening about what leaders need to do to build engaged and productive teams. See the compelling statistics and learn how, as a leader, you can realize the ROI of talent development and build a more productive and sustainable organization.
Tom Cox is a partner with over 35 years of experience including C-level leadership. Tom has a proven track record of driving results. His career spans multiple industries and functional disciplines. His career is highlighted by his eight years with General Electric and over twelve years with Marriott International. Clients benefit from Tom’s demonstrated ability to develop leaders and teams, cascading plans and accountability through an organization. He facilitates execution through creating performance-based organizations. In his career, he has delivered repeated success in achieving and often exceeding business objectives and helps clients realize new potential.dministration in finance with departmental honors.
Tuesday, October 7
Time (ET)
Tuesday, October 7
11am
Every big decision comes with lessons, some you are glad you learned and others you wish you could have avoided. In this panel, brewery owners and managers share the moves they have made, from expansions to new revenue streams to tough calls that changed the direction of their business. Hear what worked, what did not, and what they would do differently so you can make smarter moves in your own business.
This conversation features:
Tyler Forbes (Burzurk Brewing Co.)
12pm
Brewery owners wear many hats. Let’s face it… At some point in your journey, you have worn ALL the hats of your business. While this is overwhelming at times, being able to create a quality label for your array of brews can be a daunting task. Using all of the proper file configurations ensure the quality of the result is worthy of the effort you put into brewing it. This presentation provides a fool-proof checklist to confidently send your label files to the printer on the first attempt without the costly and time-consuming back & forth.
Jason Foss is the Digital Marketing Specialist at InTouch Labels & Packaging. He has a diverse background in food, beverage, and cannabis product marketing. As part of the Avery Products family, InTouch Labels is a premium choice for high-quality custom label printing. InTouch specializes in short-run label printing and offers a swift 3-day turnaround, volume pricing, and no rush fees or minimum orders.
12:30pm
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
You’ve spent years researching, developing, sourcing, and finally crafting your spirit, however, without proper attention paid to the most basic aspects of the governance of your entity, regardless of how good the liquid is, all the blood, sweat, and tears can be for naught.
This presentation will (1) walk through basic considerations when forming your entity or taking in early investment dollars to avoid issues with co-founders, or early investors, (2) provide insight into common pitfalls that can and will cause additional expense and delay when dealing with potential investors or acquirers (or in the worst scenarios cause companies to lose investment or exit possibilities), and (3) discuss what types of diligence investors and acquirers will focus on during the course of a transaction and how companies can not only be prepared for those requests, but differentiate themselves from other potential target companies in their preparedness for diligence.
Drew was raised in a family-owned fine dining restaurant and catering company, which was an outgrowth of his grandparents’ local burger joint and watering hole. He counsels companies of all sizes from formation through early-stage fundraising, day-to-day corporate formalities and contracting, and transformative M&A and beyond. He also focuses on distribution agreements, complex alcohol beverage regulatory issues, and commercial contracting. Drew joined BBG from Reyes Beverage Group, where he served as Senior Counsel. Before entering the alcohol beverage industry, Drew was in the M&A and Emerging Companies group at Latham & Watkins in Chicago. Originally from New Jersey, Drew is a double Wolverine, having earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan. He spends his time cooking, baking, and barbecuing, fishing (not catching), exploring the local food and beverage scene in his new home town of Grand Rapids, and being outside with his family.
1pm
As a brewery owner or manager, your taproom is your greatest opportunity to drive profits and build relationships. This leadership-focused session will provide you with the financial insights, actionable strategies, and data-driven tactics you need to turn your taproom into a thriving profit center. Learn how to maximize sales, manage your finances effectively, and enhance the guest experience while empowering your team to deliver results. Walk away with the tools to guide your taproom toward increased profits and keep things thriving in a constantly changing industry.
Andrew Coplon is the Founder of Secret Hopper and Craft Beer Professionals. Andrew helps breweries nationwide create more memorable and profitable taproom experiences using data-based insights gathered from thousands of visits. He has successfully built a community of 17,000 Craft Beer Professionals dedicated to the growth and betterment of our industry across the United States. When he isn’t building relationships on Zoom or meeting you for a pint, he enjoys climbing jungle gyms with his son, Max, or planning the next adventure with his wife, Stacie.
Kary Shumway is the founder of Craft Brewery Financial Training.com which offers online resources for beer industry professionals. He has worked in the beer industry for more than 20 years as a certified public accountant and a chief financial officer for a beer distributor and a brewery.
Craft Brewery Financial Training publishes a free weekly beer industry finance newsletter, offers online training courses on topics such as cash flow planning, financial forecasting, and brewery metrics. For more information visit www.CraftBreweryFinancialTraining.com.
1:30pm
The appearance of off-flavors and the decline of fresh flavor/aroma characteristics are often linked to oxygen and transition metal ions (e.g. iron, copper) present in packaged beers. In many oxidative reactions, radicals are formed as intermediates, reacting with beer components and greatly catalyzing beer deterioration. Iron and copper play a key role in the oxidative degradation of wort and beer, as they drive the formation of these radicals. In addition to reducing oxygen ingress throughout the brewing process, the chelation and removal of these transition metals has a major impact on the shelf life of your beer! We will discuss the chemistry behind this removal process and what brewing methods and products can be used to achieve better beer freshness for longer.
Alan is a Technical Sales Manager with Murphy & Son, and also a member of both the Colorado Brewer’s Guild’s Technical and Education committee and the Brewers Association’s Quality Subcommittee. He has most recently worked in the craft beer industry as the Head Brewer at Holidaily Brewing Company (a dedicated gluten-free brewery). He has also been a brewing science educator for eCornell, a brewing consultant, a technical editor for a book on gluten-free brewing, and a Quality Trainer for the Brewers Association, where he taught QA/QC and laboratory techniques to craft brewers in person before later building an online QA/QC education program.
Erict Drost is a Technical Sales Manager at Murphy & Son. Eric brings over a decade of hands-on industry experience, where he’s been pivotal in building strong, mutually beneficial customer relationships and driving business growth. His impressive track record includes roles as Director of Sales for WHC Lab, Regional Sales Manager for Southern California Brewers Supply Group, and Vice President of Sales at Hangar 24 Craft Brewery.
2pm
Being a successful, and profitable, craft brewery is more than just offering good beer and a fun experience. As we all know, having the right people and business plan matter a bunch. But have you spent enough time considering how critically important maximizing efficiencies is in the key processes that are involved in making your beer?
Today we’re going to have a dialogue around a few ways that craft breweries of all sizes can make improve their bottom line with process equipment that drives efficiency and productivity without sacrificing quality. We will focus on three technology areas, discuss how they work, and share how some of the most advanced versions of this equipment can deliver high value when implemented. These technologies are:
• Next-level tank cleaning that can dramatically reduce usage of water and chemicals as well as the time required to clean a tank
• Utilizing flash pasteurization to improve quality, shelf stability, and sometimes your brand
• Finally, how modern centrifuge technology can deliver not only more yield and quality but also higher levels of product consistency and improve reliability of production scheduling
In this discussion we will have Alfa Laval industry and Product experts sharing their experience and knowledge with the attendees as well as taking questions to help the audience improve their efficiency and profits.
Sheldon Young and Vince Polino work with Alfa Laval’s Food and Water Division in the US. Vince has 10 years with the organization solving brewery challenges and Sheldon has spent over 15 years working in a number of areas of the organization with his current role supporting customers on their sustainability journeys. Alfa Laval is one of the world’s largest suppliers of heat transfer, separations, and fluid handling equipment. They support breweries of all size around the globe in making the highest quality beer in the most efficient way possible.
2:30pm
The 2025 tax year is shaping up to be a detrimental one for craft brewers. Between the current research and development capitalization requirements, the phaseout of accelerated depreciation on equipment purchases, and other brewery tax credits that are generally overlooked, the opportunity for breweries to plan, save, and grow is now. We will cover a brief legislative update, including the current situation on the house bill that has stalled in congress, as well as low-hanging tax credits that are ripe for the taking.
T.j. O’Neill is a senior manager in Wipfli’s tax practice, specializing food & beverage manufacturing, retail, and distribution. Tim leads Wipfli’s Craft Brewery Services team and has over 11 years of experience assisting craft breweries ranging from large, multistate breweries to breweries in planning with their tax and business compliance & planning needs. Brewery owners appreciate his tailored business solutions, commitment to excellence, and ability to build strong relationships with their team. Tim lives in St. Louis with his wife and three young children and loves any English-style brown ale just as much as he loves a beautifully formatted spreadsheet.
3pm
Our market is shrinking and a lot of both smaller and larger breweries are going under (much to everyone’s chagrin). While the craft beer market MAY be shrinking, it will never go away and, like a lot of other niche products, will always ebb and flow. We’ve done a lot to, are actively doing, and have solid plans to be growing our on premises business as well as distribution with little to no resources by focusing on what our industry does right, minimizing what our industry as a whole does not the best job at, and side-stepping the “rtd’s” that are eating craft beer’s lunch! We don’t want the small, neighborhood brewery to go away in a downward market, and we want to share our success and best practices!
Brian, with his business partner and childhood best friend Mike Rushford, opened Rushford & Sons Brewhouse in December 2020; right during the height of covid. Brian and Mike put together the business with scotch tape and bubblegum and got it off the ground during a difficult time. Despite the shrinking market, Rushford & Sons is growing it’s distribution network in Central Massachusetts as well as opening a second taproom location while hosting “beer fest” events to grow the local craft beer scene as a whole.
3:30pm
There are a lot of factors to consider when distributing your product. In this talk Matt Hon talks about the pros and cons of different distribution options and offers tips on several important topics from customer relationship management, to getting paid on time, keg tracking to route planning, and working through the challenges that come with distributing across state borders. Whether you have been distributing for years or are just getting started, this talk will provide valuable insight on how to get your product out there and increase revenue for your business.
Matt Hon is Co-Founder and COO of Brew Ninja.
4pm
The loyal customer is more valuable today than at any point in the history of craft beer. Let’s take a look at how to turn your casual guests into raving fans. Strap on your SCUBA gear and get ready for a deep dive into the data and taproom execution of 3 highly successful modern loyalty and membership programs. These programs go beyond the 20oz pour to bring in recurring revenue and put more buts on barstools!
I accidentally graduated from UCSD while studying lacrosse and frequenting O’Brien’s Pub. After a brief attempt to justify the cost of my engineering degree by designing pool cleaners (true story) I quit and started programming instead, first websites and then mobile applications. Since then, I have started a few small businesses with friends to bring best-in-class mobile tech to small businesses in other industries. After growing up in San Diego during the craft boom, I jumped at the chance to start TapWyse and serve this incredible industry. I now live in Carlsbad with my wife Laurel and two boys; Roscoe 9 and Mason 7. When not working you will find me shuttling them between basketball, golf, music, and skateboarding. Cheers!
5pm
Join us for a conversation with Andrew Burman of Other Half Brewing Company as we explore the evolving craft beer landscape and how breweries can adapt to shifting consumer habits. With weekend taproom traffic declining, Other Half is leaning into events, diverse beverage options, and family-friendly experiences to stay ahead. Burman will discuss the brewery’s strategic focus on private events, cocktails, and accessible distribution—ensuring customers can enjoy Other Half’s beer wherever and however they choose. He’ll also share his perspective on industry-wide challenges, from slow-moving competition and pricing pressures to the importance of quality control in distribution. Don’t miss this intimate conversation with an industry leader.
Andrew Burman, co-founded Other Half Brewing Company in Brooklyn, New York, in 2014. Serving as the Chief Operating Officer, Burman oversees the brewery’s daily operations. His journey into the culinary and brewing world began after earning a degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, where he also played lacrosse. Pursuing his passion for food, he went to L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, MD. To deepen his understanding of food systems, Burman obtained a Master’s degree in Food Culture and Food Systems from New York University. Since Other Half’s establishment, the brewery has expanded beyond Brooklyn, opening locations in New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, the Finger Lakes, and Buffalo. Burman’s commitment to quality and innovation has been instrumental in Other Half’s growth and its reputation for pushing the boundaries of beer and brewing culture.