Conference Season Kicks Off

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As the New Year rolls in, it marks the beginning of conference season.

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For brewers and distillers looking to learn more about local malt, the first spot on the calendar, the Craft Malt Conference, is a good place to start. In Fort Collins, Colo., on Friday, Feb. 7 and Saturday, Feb. 8, it offers sessions with a variety of topics, including flavor research, quality parameters, brewing and distilling, and the business of malt.

 

The American Craft Spirits Association convention kicks off March 28 in Portland, Ore., running through March 31. It will include sessions on working with local farmers (by this author) and Minnesota rye terroir, as well as a variety of distillery-focused content.

 

The American Distilling Institute will hold its annual Craft Spirits Conference and Vendor Expo in New Orleans April 6 to April 8. The Brewers Association is holding the 2020 Craft Brewers Conference in San Antonio from April 20 to April 22.

 

State or regional events such as Grain School in Colorado or the Philadelphia Grain and Malt Symposium also exist; ask around with local maltsters, grain mills, universities, or whoever you know in the supply chain.