What’s Hot in Homebrewing

We all know that homebrewers help set and establish trends. Watch this panel discussion bringing together a retailer, a supply distributor, and a homebrew club leader to talk about what is hot and what is on the horizon for the amazing hobby of homebrewing.

Learning Objectives

• Gain authoritative insight into what trends are hot in homebrewing, covering styles brewing process, equipment, and more
• Leave this seminar ahead of the game on future brewing plans and supply shop trends
• Gain insight into some of the recent data and statistics on homebrewers and retailers

About the Speakers

Julia Herz is the executive director of the American Homebrewers Association. Prior to that, Herz was the Craft Beer Program director for the Brewers Association (BA) and publisher of CraftBeer.com (2007–2020). Herz is a Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) certified beer judge, an award-winning homebrewer, an Advanced Cicerone®, and a lead architect of the BA national beer holidays, Independent Craft Brewer Seal, BA diversity and inclusion efforts, and more. Herz is the co-author of Beer Pairing: The Essential Guide from the Pairing Pros (Voyageur Press 2015).

Kristin Girard is the owner of Vine n Hop in Medina, Ohio. She strives every day to take out the mystique of homebrewing and winemaking and make it easy and accessible to everyone. She does this by operating a local homebrew store where you don’t have to wait for a delivery service, can come in and talk to the experts on hand, and purchase your everyday brewing and winemaking supplies on demand. Kristin is also a creator and influencer of homebrewing and winemaking information on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Matt Bolling is the North American marketing manager for Brewers Supply Group’s (BSG) HandCraft division, which is a wholesale supplier to the homebrewing industry. Matt’s work focuses on connecting homebrew supply shops with their customer base and supporting the hobby by providing equipment and ingredients from the highest-quality suppliers from all over the world. Prior to working for BSG, Matt spent seven years on the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) staff, where he worked to spread the joy of homebrewing to new brewers and provide AHA members with outstanding member benefits.

Sandy Cockerham started homebrewing in the late 80s after hearing her dad talk about brewing beer with his brother many years before. Later, she decided to explore beer judging, sitting for the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) exam in 2007, and currently holds the rank of Grand Master 8. She has judged at well over 200 competitions in the last 15 years and enjoys traveling and judging all over the world. She currently serves on the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) a href=”https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/membership/aha-governing-committee/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Governing Committee and is co-chair of its competition subcommittee She is the BJCP’s Midwest representative and BJCP vice president.