Craft Beer Professionals

Craft Beer Professionals
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Craft Beer Professionals is a national network dedicated to the growth and betterment of the craft beer industry. CBP unifies and elevates the industry through educational content, peer to peer dialogue, and unique community events. Educational sessions, interviews, and panel conversations that dive into critical topics in the craft beer industry. [Stay up to date with CBP] www.CraftBeerProfessionals.org

  1. 2D AGO

    AI Beyond the Caption: Scaling Taproom Voice with Intent

    In an industry built on authenticity and community connection, most teams resist AI because they worry it will dilute the brand’s voice or sound generic. Used strategically, AI can protect creative energy, support consistency, and make marketing more sustainable without replacing personality. This session explores how breweries can use AI as a calibration tool that supports brand tone, improves operational communication, and helps repurpose existing conversations and knowledge into usable marketing and training material. We will walk through how AI can bridge the gap between operations and marketing, support seasonal storytelling, accelerate employee onboarding, and create content frameworks that still feel like the people behind the beer. The session includes a live example build showing how to turn raw ideas or taproom dialogue into platform ready content while keeping voice intact. No technical background required. The focus is on structure and intention rather than automation. Participants will leave with prompt techniques, best practices for brand consistency, and methods for using AI without outsourcing identity. AI should not replace your voice. It should protect it so you have the energy to keep using it. Madeline McMahon is a fractional marketing strategist and founder of Madeline Fleehart Consulting specializing in sustainable visibility for small teams in the food and beverage sector. Their background includes organic storytelling, CRM architecture, and process design with a focus on strengthening consistency without adding complexity. Madeline has led AI education sessions for the Virginia Brewers Conference, Pink Boots Society, SCORE, and regional startups with an emphasis on practical use of AI by non technical teams. Their approach integrates narrative thinking with light touch tools to improve alignment across operations and marketing. They believe successful brewery marketing is intentional, repeatable, and grounded in lived brand experience rather than produced through automation. Join us in person for CBP Connects Chicago June 15-17, 2026 Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

    50 min

  2. 5D AGO

    Taproom Marketing 101: Life After Social Media

    It’s hard out there for a brewery. With follower reach at an all time low and Meta no longer recommending alcohol pages, we need to flip the script. We need profitable & owned channel marketing programs! Bring your scalpel and your bunsen burner. In this session we will dissect the most profitable App Marketing programs. We will look at proven ways to drive repeat visits, real life tactics to sell through aging beer more quickly and how to stack recurring monthly revenue for the slower times. No “pie-in-the-sky” or fluffy marketing ideas allowed. Just real-world examples, numbers & best practices. So you can skip the guesswork and start implementing proven programs right away. This session is for micro to mid-size brewery owners, GMs, marketing managers and head janitors (because let’s face it, you do all these jobs anyways). 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. Thank you to Cascade Floors + Harvest Hosts for helping keep our community and content 100% free and accessible to all Craft Beer Professionals. Join us in person for CBP Connects Chicago June 15-17, 2026 Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

    33 min

  3. MAY 2

    Ball Theory for Brewers: Protect the Glass, Drop the Rubber, and Lead Without Burning Out

    If you’ve ever felt like you’re juggling tanks, taplists, payroll, a stuck mash, and three “quick questions” before your coffee kicks in? You’re not alone. Ball Theory for Brewers is a simple, fun way to sort out which parts of your job are glass balls (don’t drop these!) and which ones are rubber balls (let them bounce). This session breaks down brewery chaos into something you can actually manage. You’ll leave with a prioritization system that helps you protect safety, quality, and your people—while letting go of the tasks, expectations, and “fires” that aren’t worth the stress. Because good beer shouldn’t come at the cost of burnout. Jennifer Goetsch is the Vice President at Alpha Beverage Operations, a brewery equipment manufacturer serving craft producers across the industry. With more than a decade of experience in commercial operations, customer experience, and leadership development, Jenn is known for helping teams bring clarity to complex, fast-moving environments. Her work focuses on building sustainable, high-performing teams and practical systems that support people without burning them out. Jenn brings a people-first perspective to leadership, using simple frameworks—like the Ball Theory—to help leaders prioritize what truly matters while letting go of what doesn’t. Outside of work, Jenn is a fitness coach, mom, and advocate for sustainable leadership in the craft beer industry. Her sessions are honest, relatable, and designed to leave attendees with tools they can actually use the next day. Thank you to Cascade Floors + Harvest Hosts for helping keep our community and content 100% free and accessible to all Craft Beer Professionals. Join us in person for CBP Connects Chicago June 15-17, 2026 Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

    16 min

  4. APR 29

    Turning Tourists into Taproom Revenue

    As breweries look for new ways to grow, many are exploring opportunities beyond their local audience. Travelers are actively seeking out breweries as part of their journeys, creating an opportunity to connect with new faces and drive additional taproom revenue. In this session, we’ll share insights from working with hundreds of brewery partners across the country to highlight how breweries are using Harvest Hosts as a marketing and visibility tool to attract travelers and turn those visits into real sales. We’ll explore how RV travelers discover breweries, what influences their decisions to stop, and why welcoming travelers on-site often leads to increased foot traffic and word-of-mouth. Rather than focusing on big operational changes or new marketing campaigns, this session centers on practical, approachable ways breweries are using Harvest Hosts to support growth. Attendees will learn what hosting looks like in practice, how it fits into existing operations, and how breweries are generating incremental taproom revenue while staying focused on making great beer and running a smooth taproom. Thank you to Cascade Floors + Harvest Hosts for helping keep our community and content 100% free and accessible to all Craft Beer Professionals. Join us in person for CBP Connects Chicago June 15-17, 2026 Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

    44 min

  5. APR 25

    In a World of Good Beer, Hospitality Wins

    With more high-quality beer available than ever before, great beer alone is no longer enough to stand out. Guests may come for the beer, but they return for how they are treated. This session explores the critical role hospitality plays in shaping guest perception, driving repeat visits, and turning casual visitors into loyal brand advocates. Designed specifically for breweries and taprooms, the talk reframes hospitality as a core business strategy—one that influences reviews, word-of-mouth, and long-term growth. Attendees will leave with practical insights into how intentional service, staff engagement, and guest experience design can become a brewery’s most powerful competitive advantage. Taylor is a 25 year hospitality industry professional beginning with a summer job cooking breakfast at a small-town diner where he grew up, and ending as the Executive Chef of Drakes Brewing Company, bringing the simple philosophy that brewery food can be better than it needs to be. Now, as a Solutions Consultant at GoTab, he leverages that lifetime of firsthand experience with the day-to-day realities of hospitality and the challenges operators face at every level. His deep operational background and culinary training help hospitality teams learn to focus on customer sequence, reduce friction, and improve customer experience and profitability. Driven by a passion for creating great guest experiences, Taylor works closely with brewery taprooms, beer gardens, and hospitality operators to remove operational noise and let teams focus on what matters most—the customer. Join us in person for CBP Connects Chicago June 15-17, 2026 Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

    29 min

  6. APR 22

    From Brewhouse to Beverage House: Scaling into New Product Categories

    In today’s competitive market, simply producing high-quality beer is often no longer enough to secure sustained growth. Many forward-thinking breweries are strategically diversifying their product portfolios, expanding into high-growth categories such as hard cider, spirits, wine, RTDs, can cannabevs. While this expansion opens up exciting new revenue streams, it simultaneously introduces a new set of operational, financial, and regulatory challenges. The question for many producers is: where do we even begin? Industry experts Alex and Aaron with lead a discussion focused on demystifying the diversification process and will guide attendees through the critical considerations required when integrating an entirely new product line into an established brewery operation. The session with specifically focus on how production software, like Ollie and Ekos, can act as the cornerstone for a successful transition. We’ll focus on key areas such as streamlining procurement for new ingredients and packaging, adapting the production process, ensuring financial accuracy, and managing sales efficiency. Don’t let complexity slow your growth. Learn how to successfully expand your portfolio while maintaining efficiency and compliance. Alex was born & raised in North Carolina. He is an alumni of Grimsley High School and UNC-Wilmington, and currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a former swimmer and grilling enthusiast. His first craft beer was Natty Green’s Freedom IPA, and North Carolina beer holds a special place in his heart. Alex has spent 9 years with Next Glass, and currently is a Solutions Consultant supporting the Producer Solutions team. While coming from outside of industry initially, Alex brings valuable experience after thousands of conversations with brewery owners around the world. Aaron Keefner is happily approaching his 14th year in the craft beer industry, having started out in marketing with Goose Island in early 2012. He eventually moved to an operations role in wholesale support in order to gain experience on both the production/operations side, as well as the knowledge already obtained via marketing/sales. After 5.5 years he found himself at Revolution Brewing running their specialty beer program, including their celebrated Deep Wood barrel-aged program, as well as spearheading the rollout of their small batch program. In 2019 he assumed the role of Executive Director of Brewery Operations with More Brewing Company helping them expand and open their production facility in Huntley, IL and planning of a 3rd facility in Bartlett, IL. With his leadership, More was able to weather the storm of the pandemic and grow 600% in a span of just under 3 years. At the end of 2022, Aaron assumed his current role as a Solutions Consultant with Next Glass, serving as a product expert on Ollie & Ekos, ERP/CRM softwares for beverage production. Join us in person for CBP Connects Chicago June 15-17, 2026 Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

    35 min

  7. APR 18

    The Science and History of Lager Production

    What makes a good lager? How do we make a good lager? Join us as we explore the various methods used to craft high-quality lager, breaking down the classic techniques to help you choose the best approach for your best beer. Nathaniel Ferguson is one of the owners of Escarpment Laboratories, A yeast manufacturer in Guelph, Canada, where they focus on teaching about yeast fermentation. Additionally, Nathan has been a professor at Niagara College for over 10 years, teaching in the Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Program. Join us in person for CBP Connects Chicago June 15-17, 2026 Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

    58 min

  8. APR 15

    Brewhouse Designs: Dos, Don’ts, & Recommendation

    Brewhouse design decisions have long-term consequences. Layout, drainage, flooring, access, and workflow choices made early can either support efficient operations or create daily friction that is expensive to fix later. In this session, we’ll bring together an architect, a flooring specialist, and experienced brewery operators to walk through real-world brewhouse design dos, don’ts, and practical recommendations. The focus is not on theory or perfect builds, but on what actually works once the tanks are full, the floors are wet, and the brew team is trying to get through a long day safely and efficiently. This conversation features: Chris Klein (Cascade Floors)Curtis Holmes (Alaskan Brewing)Dustin Hauck (Hauck Architecture) Join us in person for CBP Connects Chicago June 15-17, 2026 Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

    52 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Craft Beer Professionals is a national network dedicated to the growth and betterment of the craft beer industry. CBP unifies and elevates the industry through educational content, peer to peer dialogue, and unique community events. Educational sessions, interviews, and panel conversations that dive into critical topics in the craft beer industry. [Stay up to date with CBP] www.CraftBeerProfessionals.org

Information

  • Creator
    Craft Beer Professionals
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    479
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Craft Beer Professionals
  • Show Website
    Craft Beer Professionals

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