Greg Wells’ Post

On behalf of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) I am pleased to announce (over three posts due to character limitations) the first two volumes of a five volume series titled The Inspiring History and Legacies of American Lager Beer are now in production for release in April and July, respectively. Authored by myself, with John Palmer as Editor and Ken Grossman and Richard L. Yuengling Jr. providing series forewords, reaching this milestone after a 16 year long journey is frankly a rather emotional moment in my life, one I never took for granted would ever become a reality – not in terms of units of years but decades. There are so, so, SO many people, who without their talents, support, encouragement and mentoring, this series would ever have seen the light of day. It is why the Acknowledgements section at the end of each volume (consciously provided the epigraph of E Pluribus Unum) is nine pages in length.  The attachment to this post depicts the front covers of these first two volumes. In terms of the proverbial icing on the cake, it is a great honor for this naturalized citizen who as a Canuck, in 1987, first stepped foot in the United States on a very hot and humid summer day in Saint Louis, Missouri to have Ken Grossman and Richard L. Yuengling both graciously pen independent, yet I find, united perspectives as first and sixth-generation American brewers, respectively. Wrote Ken Grossman, the series in his eyes is “unlike anything else ever written on our industry” that it “will stand the testament of time” and “is both a fascinating historical journey into a product that has deep roots in many of our daily lives and the foundation of our country, and the telling of an often-misunderstood story on how the world's most accepted style of beer evolved out of need and necessity". Complimenting these comments. Richard L. Yuengling Jr. wrote in his foreword  how our nation’s brewing heritage and traditions reflects “two American beer revolutions, the birth of adjunct lager brewing in the late 1800’s and the craft brewing renaissance of the 1980’s”. With statements such as these from two industry icons, it's not hard to imagine why their words and tangible support, especially at this stage of my life, touched my soul in a very joyous way. End of Part 1 of 3

Here’s how to network with the National Black Brewers Association at CBC 2024

Brewers Choice Awards 2024 Young Brewer of the Year supported by Totally Natural Solutions Ltd There are some incredibly-talented young brewers working in the brewing industry in the UK and Ireland. Some young brewers are running their own operations, others are cutting their teeth working at established outfits. Regardless, these brewers are making their mark on the industry and are certain to have a long, successful career in the field. Young is, also, a subjective term. You are only as old as you feel, of course. But for the purpose of this category, a young brewer is anyone under the age of 33. If you’re submitting an entry on behalf of yourself, tell us about your responsibilities and successes in last 18 months. Here you can also nominate someone that has gained you respect. Maybe it’s a recipe that’s been developed, or the impact made on the company’s operations. Equally, it might involve improvements to quality and consistency thanks to the work carried out in the lab. Again, it might be all of the above! https://lnkd.in/e-G3wFVP

📉 Craft beer faces a tough 2024, as closings outpace openings for the first time in two decades. The Brewers Association calls this a “painful period of rationalization,” with production declines likely for a second straight year. What does this mean for the future of the industry? Read the full report below. https://lnkd.in/gHVy6Rye #CraftBeer #BrewingIndustry #MarketTrends #BrewersAssociation #BeerIndustryNews

Why it Matters:

This article by The Crafty Pint highlights the great things going on in the New Zealand hop industry including production at major scale, innovative formats and new hop varieties. We are super proud to be pushing the boundaries and making waves in the craft brewing scene offshore. Have a read!

WHY IT MATTERS

What do Benefits & Beerfest have in common? Guess you'll have to attend Maine Brewers' Guild #NewEnglandCraftBeerSummit to find out! Nate Moody, CPFA is joined by Acadia Benefits and KMA Human Resources Consulting to discuss benefits for small brewers. Focus will be on recent regulatory changes, implementing 'easy(ish)-to-administer' benefits, and scaling your benefits as you grow.

It's been quite the journey since we started Tap'in (formally Warelogic) in 2018 and the business has evolved significantly since then. After spending 16 years in the logistics and distribution industry at other companies, my partner Jayne Ausling and I decided we wanted to start our own business back in 2012. We started as Aus-Trans, establishing it to a fleet size of 20 trucks. Dealing mainly with the distribution of printed media at night and pallet network deliveries covering London and the South East during the day. When the opportunity to work with a keg leasing company came about from an old contact of mine from my newspaper days, we began our journey into brewery logistics. It started with a question from my contact "Dan, could you help our new operation? It will be one van collecting a few kegs from a few London pubs each week" A statement we still joke about today "Of course we can, I said" and 8 years on we are collecting, cleaning, storing and dispatching anywhere up to 30k kegs a week nationwide. This insight into the drinks and hospitality industry allowed our logistics business to grow and adapt to serve this area. We quickly realised that whilst we were going to the venues to collect empty kegs, there were lots of other vans delivering full kegs to the same venues. Like any good distribution company, efficiency is what we strive for and this is where Drinks Direct - our on-trade/final mile fulfillment service came from and how we pivoted into serving venues directly. We thought if we could deliver full kegs whilst also collecting the empties, not only would we be reducing the amount of vans on the road which is better for the environment, reduce the headache and volume of visits for the venue mangers/owners, it would also help us build a much more sustainable business. To begin with, we built trust with brewers we already knew well (Toast Ale and Stone & Wood) before starting to deliver full kegs into venues and picking empties up on the same trip. Now, we work with 58 brewers, storing, picking, and dispatching their goods into London and the South East! I have loved getting involved with the craft beer industry and meeting so many personable and honest people who each maintain such a passion for beer. So, thank you to the team, past and present at Tap'in and those clients and supplier partners who have supported us all the way! Here's a throwback photo from a few years ago, before our re-brand!

How can Clear Brew support you? 👇 We are kick-starting the week with a quick reminder of how we can support you as we head towards the summer season! 👀 We will maintain and manage your beer line cleaning and even act as an extra pair of eyes when it comes to general cellar maintenance ✍️ As always, our blog is full of hints & tips to help you through the season ahead 🍻 Your venue's needs are our priority. We work closely with you to understand the individual needs of your venue and help ensure your bar is geared up to serve great pints! Discover more at www.clearbrew.co.uk #MondayMotivation #BeerLineCleaning #BetterBeerBetterBusiness #ClearBrew