By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–The San Diego Brewers Guild is set to host the Craft Beer Con on August 13 at Mira Costa College’s San Elijo campus in Cardiff.
This annual half-day conference, open to the public, focuses on trends within the local craft beer industry.
This year’s theme, “The Heart of the Community,” celebrates the internal communities that fuel the craft beer scene in San Diego and beyond. A key highlight is the discussion “Bridging Borders: Connecting Baja Brewers with San Diego,” featuring representatives from Tijuana breweries Farland Aleworks and Insurgente.
The conference begins at 11 a.m. and it includes three education tracks, a trade show, and beer tastings.
“This year’s conference is especially exciting because some of our friends from Mexico will be joining us,” said Brewers Guild Executive Director Erik Fowler. “While many topics are nuanced for brewers and brewery owners, we welcome anyone interested in learning more about the industry, including about breweries just across the border. Many of their business principles are universally applicable.”
The education tracks include “Your Beer,” “The People of Beer,” and “Business, Sales & Marketing,” covering topics from navigating distribution models to hands-on hop workshops. Panels will feature speakers from notable San Diego breweries, including Hopnonymous Brewing Co., Modern Times Beer, and Societe Brewing Co.
Craft Beer Con is co-produced by MiraCosta College’s BrewTech Program, a 210-hour course training students to become production brewers. It is the only brewing program in California recognized by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.
San Diego County has over 150 independent craft brewery locations, a significant increase from the 15 in 1997 when the San Diego Brewers Guild was founded. The Guild, a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization, consists of allied brewery members, tradespeople, and other providers supporting craft beer production and distribution.
Tickets are $70 for the general public and $60 for Brewers Guild members. The price includes lunch from Culver Beer Co.’s Locally Toasted and the happy hour beer tastings at 4 p.m. For more information, visit the San Diego Brewers Guild.
The Guild’s 16th annual San Diego Beer Week is scheduled for November 1 to 10.
