

Craft Beer Professionals
Craft Beer Professionals
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
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
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 7, 2024 • 37min
Made in China, Now What?
With a high percentage of equipment coming from overseas, particularly China, it is crucial to understand the procedures and expenses involved in the process of getting your equipment from the factory to your doorstep.
So, your new shiny, expensive toys are completed half a world away, but what’s next?
Join our Designated Driver, John Gonzales, as he uses his 15 years of experience in China to drill down into the process and help paint a clearer picture of what should be considered.
The discussion will include:
– Container Loading
How does the equipment get over here in the first place?
– Freight and Terms
Will ocean or air freight (ouch) be used to get your shipment across the “pond”? What are the incoterms of the equipment?
– Duties and Taxes
Once the shipment arrives you need to consider importation and the associated duties, taxes, and tariffs which are charged by US Customs and need to be paid before the shipment is released and delivered. You will also get an exclusive look at the shipping calculator that our team has created to provide a detailed estimation of the costs you will incur when your shipment arrives at the port.
– Delivery and Unloading
This is when the real fun starts as now you have to unload the equipment from the container into your facility. Our team has many tips and tricks to share!
Our goal is to help you understand the key considerations during the shipping process from China to the US, so you can make informed decisions that simplify your life and prevent costly surprises.
Bespoke Brewing Solutions is your one-stop shop to bring your craft beer project to life.
We produce our equipment to the highest standard—because the quality of equipment can make a huge difference to your product—and the overall success of your brewery.
We have equipment in 17 countries, meaning we’ve sourced equipment and designed brewhouse configurations for a plethora of different scenarios.
Our Designated Driver, John Gonzales, is originally from Austin, Texas, but now leads our team from China. Having a team in China that speaks the local language allows us to oversee all aspects of our client’s projects, from initial layout designs all the way through to equipment testing before shipping.
If you’ve never started a brewery before, we’re here to help. If you’re an experienced brewer, we speak your language.
Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking
Portland, ME | June 10-12, 2024
Register now: cbpconnects-portland.eventbrite.com

Jan 31, 2024 • 53min
Beer Trips: Educational, Experiential, Cultural, & Networking Opportunities
Craft beer and beverage demographics are accelerating in the speed of change in consumer wants and tastes. Reacting to “Fashion” is a game you never catch up with. To meet these challenges, it is important for you to establish a vibrant industry network and to invest in craft beverage education. The best way to approach this is by visiting and meeting in person the people and experiencing places you want to establish or enhance your industry relationships. The key is to set up detailed trips to meet and interact with other Beer and Beverage professionals one on one at their locations.
Beer Trips should be much more than just drinking craft beer. Trip offers insights on setting up VIP Beer, Bourbon, and other Craft beverages meetings and location experiences that can help you build a stronger team, create new friends and open up more industry resources for you. He offers suggestions on how to effectively use Beer travel as part of a positive incentive and rewards program for your employees. How to create a customer retention program thru a turnkey beer travel program. And insights for you to identify your teams continuing beer education focus and how to take advantage of the best options.
Trip will discuss the importance of One-on-One experiences with source Hops and Brewing Malts producers as well as continuing beer education opportunities that are easier than you think.
Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking
Portland, ME | June 10-12, 2024
Register now: cbpconnects-portland.eventbrite.com

Jan 24, 2024 • 48min
From Paper to Digital: Taproom Menu Insights
Are digital menus good or bad for taproom business? How do they compare in performance to paper menus or wallboards? What should you take into consideration for the visual design of a tap list?
Join Adrian Pawliszko (Kegshoe Inc.) and Andrew Coplon (Craft Beer Professionals/Secret Hopper) as they discuss the latest insights from the world of taproom menus. From recent research conducted by Secret Hopper, to menu design tips and tricks from Sippo, this talk is perfect for any taproom owner or manager.
Adrian Pawliszko is the cofounder of Kegshoe, a keg tracking and CRM software company based in Canada. Adrian has worked at the intersection of beer, design, and technology for over a decade.
Learn more about Sippo: https://sippo.io
The impact of menu types on taproom spending: https://www.secrethopper.com/secret-blogger/menu-types
Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking
Portland, ME | June 10-12, 2024
Register now: cbpconnects-portland.eventbrite.com

Jan 17, 2024 • 23min
2024 Taproom Staff Motivation Metrics
This conversation is a behind the scenes look at the Taproom Success Membership. The Taproom Success community offers you the opportunity to be part of a monthly mastermind with taproom managers from across the country, join intimate conversations with industry experts, and dive into hours of content designed for you. You can learn more here.
Just like each guest, all of your staff require a unique experience. As brewery owners and managers, it is your responsibility to understand their needs, their goals, and how you can form a partnership of beautiful employment.
In today's session, we discuss 12 taproom metrics you can use to continually motivate your team. Your team will perform stronger when you provide a more engaging and rewarding work experience.
View the 2024 Taproom Staff Motivation Calendar
Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking
Portland, ME | June 10-12, 2024
You deserve this opportunity: https://cbpconnects-portland.eventbrite.com

Jan 10, 2024 • 34min
The Benefits of Using Real-Time Data To Manage Production
Join Beer30 founder Pulkit K. Agrawal, Christen McGarry from Your Mates Brewing, and Erick Adam from Penn Cove Brewing as they discuss the benefits of using real-time data to manage production. These three will discuss how Beer30 software has helped them in real brewing situations and how the software has benefitted them from an ROI perspective.
Pulkit K. Agrawal - graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and then began working in the beer industry as a Process Engineer for Ballast Point Brewing, where he focused on packaging lines and nitrogen beer. He soon discovered a need in the market for software that expanded beyond standard inventory management systems, where there would be an emphasis on the brewing process and quality, not just inventory tracking. In January 2018, Pulkit launched Beer30. In December 2022, Pulkit was selected into the Forbes 30 Under 30, Class of 2023, in the Food and Drink category.
Christen McGarry - is the co-founder and COO of Your Mates Brewing Co. in Queensland, Australia. Christen founded Your Mates Brewing Co. with the mission of connecting more mates in the area with great beer. McGarry also helped start the Mateship Foundation which has helped raise over $150,000 for local and Queensland based charities through event fundraising and direct donations.
Erick Adam - is the head brewer at Penn Cove Brewing Co. in Whidbey Island in Washington State. Adam has helped Penn Cove expand their operations to multiple locations and focuses on brewing quality beer to help build the community.
Get excited to join us in-person at CBP Connects in 2024.
More information coming soon.
Stay up to date with CBP at update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

Jan 3, 2024 • 39min
Grain Questions, Handled
Hear the industry's most experienced grain handling expert answers your questions about grain handling and storage! Topics will include how to keep spaces dust-free, how to extend the life of your equipment, and when different equipment becomes profitable. It will cover different brands available and extend to automation software, spent grain solutions, and much more. The guest will be John Cassa of ABM Equipment, one of the industry's foremost providers of grain handling systems.
Listeners are welcome to submit any questions they have after the interview to ABM Equipment via email (contact@abmequipment.com), which they have promised to answer.
Starting his career with Bratney in agricultural grain handling systems, John Cassa spent several years as their top sales engineer before venturing out on his own. Seeing that food and beverage producers were having to juggle equipment manufacturers, installers, and fabricators, John founded ABM Equipment with a partner to bring all these functions under one roof. Since then, John has developed hundreds of applications for food and beverage producers, specializing in dry bulk solids solutions.
When the brewery boom hit Bend, Oregon in the 90's, John brought his expertise to the space, and since then ABM has become the primary grain systems provider to the industry. John's group is responsible for a number of the industry's now-standard solutions such as single-point weighing, dust-tight silo adapters, grain handling software, and more.
Though he's responsible for the material handling systems of large food producers such as Tyson and McCain, the brewery space is John's favorite to work in for the laid-back, practical, and tight-knit nature of the industry.
Get excited to join us in-person at CBP Connects in 2024.
More information coming soon.
Stay up to date with CBP at update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

Dec 27, 2023 • 39min
Empowering Your Staff: Implementing Software for Employee Training
As the seasons change and winter is hurtling towards us, There is no better time than now for brewery owners and taproom managers to start thinking about ways to get to the next level for 2024 and beyond. With the new year just around the corner, its a great time to start implementing different strategies to improve the business for the upcoming year.
As we all know, if you're not growing, you're falling behind. One key strategy that is so important, but gets constantly put on the back burner is employee training and on-boarding. This area covers a range of topics such as general policies and procedures, dress codes for front of house staff, and even health + safety requirements to prevent workplace injuries and protect the business in the event of one.
In this session, you will learn how to improve your employee training with easy wins, health and safety compliance considerations, and focusing on your staff can maximize the customer experience.
BarSight strives to provide solutions to save money and time for restaurants, breweries, and others in the hospitality industry. Their software includes employee management, generating cost schedules, employee on-boarding development, manager log book forms, and more.
Get excited to join us in-person at CBP Connects in 2024.
More information coming soon.
Stay up to date with CBP at update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

Dec 20, 2023 • 28min
Brewing Up Success: The Art of Efficient Brewery Accounting
Hop into our expert panel discussion and tap into the secrets of maximizing your cash flow, accelerating payments, and gaining financial control by pouring your AP and AR processes into the digital realm. Learn how to ferment your finances effectively, ensuring smooth operations and faster transactions, so you can raise a toast to the thriving aspects of your business that inspired your journey into the craft beer industry! Cheers to simplifying the backend while savoring the front-end delights of brewing excellence! 🍺✨
This converstion features:
Elle Sutherland, Sales Manager- Melio
Jake Tasseff, Account Executive- Melio
Stephanie Smith, Account Executive- Melio
David Lin, Owner, Comrade Brewing
Melio is a B2B payment platform revolutionizing the F&B industry by offering small to medium businesses a simpler way to pay and get paid. Pay business bills with bank transfers for free or pay by card - even where cards aren’t accepted - to increase cash flow and rack up rewards. With Melio, you can also get paid faster. The money goes directly to your bank account and your business customers can pay you how they want in a few clicks. There’s no sign-up costs nor subscription fees, and your vendors aren’t required to create an account in order to receive payment.
Elle Sutherland
Sales Manager-Melio
elle@melio.com
(626)-557-1447
Stephanie Smith
Account Executive- Melio
stephanie.smith@melio.com
(626)-829-9373
Jake Tasseff
Account Executive- Melio
jake@melio.com
(720)-464-1384
David Lin
Owner-Comrade Brewing Company
chairman@comradebrewing.com
(720) 748-0700

Dec 13, 2023 • 1h 1min
Leaning In: Exploring Theme-Driven Breweries
"A welcoming place with great beer."
"Good times, good people."
Is anyone actively trying for the opposite? How do you describe your brewery in only 5 words? Today, we are going to chat with brewery owners that aimed to not only create welcoming spaces, but leaned into to a specific theme as an integral part of their operation. From dogs to baseball to wizards to airplanes, we will discover the inspirations behind these thematic choices, the challenges faced in execution, and the impact on customer engagement and brand loyalty.
This conversation features:
Ann Zofchak (4 Paws Brewing)
Blake Edmunds (Studly Brewing)
Chris Ragaisis (Wizard Works Brewing)
Morgan O'Sullivan (FlyteCo Brewing)
Get excited to join us in-person at CBP Connects in 2024.More information coming soon.Stay up to date with CBP at update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

Dec 6, 2023 • 54min
Brand Authenticity in an A.I. (-Infatuated) World
Authenticity has been a core principle of the craft beer community since its inception. It’s even in the name: “craft” beer. Machines make things. Humans craft things. The vast majority of craft breweries are modestly-sized labors of love built by real people with literal blood, sweat, and tears.
Join Brian Winkeler and Jennings Hammack from Oklahoma City-based branding & packaging design shop Robot House as they discuss with CBP’s Andrew Coplon all the ways in which authenticity matters in every aspect of a craft brewery’s brand experience (from branding & packaging to taproom & shelf presence) and the impact of A.I. on the beer business, both positive (sales & distribution intelligence) and negative (crappy A.I.-generated beer label “art”).
Brian Winkeler & Jennings Hammack represent 1/3 of Robot House, an Oklahoma City-based six-person team of creative thinkers, dreamers and doers who craft emotional brand stories with fresh, cool, award-winning design in collaboration with clients around the country. Specializing in brand development, packaging design and all things creative, Brian & Jennings are on a mission to find passionate people eager to build and explore a brave new world for their craft beer brand.
Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networkingCharleston, SC | December 4-6, 2023Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-charleston.eventbrite.com


