The Brewers of Pennsylvania (BOP), the state’s official brewers guild, has released its event details and list of panel participants for the 2018 Meeting of the Malts, the association’s popular annual event that gathers the most acclaimed breweries to discuss the state of the craft beer industry.
Presented by Gold Sponsor Micro Matic USA, Meeting of the Malts VII will take place Thursday, August 23 from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. EST at Artsquest Center at SteelStacks, and will feature a powerhouse panel including Bill Covaleski (Victory Brewing Company), Tom Kehoe (Yards Brewing Company), Wendy Yuengling (D. G. Yuengling & Son), Mike Stevens (Michigan-based Founders Brewing Company), and Joey Redner (Florida-based Cigar City Brewing). The panel discussion, which will run from 6-7 p.m., will be emceed by industry icon, Bump Williams. Dick Yuengling and Jim Koch (Samuel Adams) will provide the opening remarks.
“Craft beer is thriving in Pennsylvania, and Meeting of the Malts, now in its seventh year, continues to serve as the state’s primary meeting place to discuss the industry’s important successes and challenges from legislative issues to craft beer trends,” said Dan LaBert, Executive Director of the Brewers of Pennsylvania. “If you are a brewer or simply a fan of the craft beer scene, Meeting of the Malts is a must-attend event. We expect as strong a turnout as last year, which welcomed hundreds of attendees who listened to and learned from our industry’s most successful brewers, as well as promising peers who are in the trenches producing the very best craft beer in the United States.”
Draft Magazine has named Meeting of the Malts as the #12 (out of 101) rated beer experiences on the industry bucket list. While several panelists have participated in previous Meeting of the Malts, new to this year is Mike Stevens, Co-Founder and CEO of Founders and Joey Redner, Founder of Cigar City.
Founders has been ranked in the top breweries in the world by Ratebeer.com for the last five years. The brewery has won six World Beer Cup medals, four European Beer Star medals, and three Great American Beer Festival medals.
“Founders has been a part of the industry now for twenty-one years, and when I first got into the business breweries like Sam Adams and Yuengling inspired me to follow my passion,” said Stevens. “I’m truly honored to be a part of this event and share the stage with such accomplished brewers and look forward to a spirited conversation.”
Cigar City has won a Gold Medal for its Humidor Series IPA at the National Beer Championships and a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival for its Minaret ESB.
Following the panel discussion will be a four-course dinner from 7:15 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., each course being paired with a beer from select panelist’s breweries. During the meal, the BOP will host a Beer Silent Auction, an opportunity to bid on unique and collectible items from a variety of breweries including autographed, one-of-a-kind items from the country’s finest breweries.
After the dinner comes the Pennsylvania BrewPub Festival from 9:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. Participating BOP members include: Barley Creek Brewing Co., Berwick Brewing Co., Boneshire Brew Works, Brewery at Hershey, Collusion Tap Works, Covered Bridge Brewhaus, Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks, Hop Hill Brewing Co., Round Guys Brewing Co., Roy-Pitz Brewing Co., Saucony Creek Brewing Co., and Wolf Brewing Co.
For the second consecutive year, Meeting of the Malts will also include the Legislative Growler Awards, an honor that recognizes a person or organization the BOP considers a partner in the industry, one who continually strives to promote and protect Pennsylvania’s craft beer industry. Honorees will be announced at a later date.
Artsquest Center at SteelStacks is located at 711 First St., Bethlehem, PA. Accommodations deadline for the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem is August 9.
