R&D

There was a time when craft brewers associated efficiency with compromise in quality. That time has passed, and brewers have new decisions to make—especially when it comes to modern hop products.

Some brew systems make beer for us to drink. Others just solve mysteries—providing an acceptable outlet for failure and serving as the lifeblood of craft beer.

It’s not standard equipment in every malthouse, but many maltsters large and small are using their own pilot breweries to test, demonstrate, and help customers get the best possible malt for their needs.

For Ninkasi Brewing in Eugene, Oregon, the benefits of developing hard seltzer expertise and its Pacific Sparkling brand far outweighed the product’s perceived lack of romance.

David Walker, cofounder and CEO of Firestone Walker in Paso Robles, California, shares some thoughts on management after a quarter-century of building a brewery into a widely respected, award-winning regional powerhouse.

As small breweries proliferate, the largest malt producers—known for consistency, quality, and scale—aim to innovate and stay nimble to serve the changing market.

In this excerpt from our Case Study on Night Shift Brewing—from our freshly published Brewing Industry Guide Winter issue—the Boston brewery’s cofounders explain the process behind their successful Hoot hard seltzer.