Master Brewers is excited to announce the keynote speaker line up for our Opening and Closing Sessions at the 2021 conference. More information about their individual talks will be posted here once available.
Opening Session Keynote Speaker
Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster, The Brooklyn Brewery
Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery, winner of the 2014 James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional, editor of
The Oxford Companion to Beer, author of
The Brewmaster’s Table, and one of the foremost authorities in the world on the subject of beer. Since 1994, Garrett has led the brewing team to new heights and unleashed a variety of boundary-pushing beers on the drinking world. He has also traveled the world as a beer educator and judge, including hosting more than a thousand beer dinners, judging at the Great American Beer Festival, and countless other appearances. Garrett sat on the founding board of Slow Food USA in the early 2000s and then spent five years on the Board of Counselors for Slow Food International. He currently sits on the board of the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD). In July 2020, Garrett launched The Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing & Distilling to fund technical education and career advancement for BIPOC in the brewing and distilling industries. The MJF was created in honor of renowned beer and whiskey writer and dear friend, Michael James Jackson. Find Garrett on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter @GarrettOliver and Instagram @igarrettoliver.
The Opening Session will take place October 28 (onsite in Cleveland, OH) and rebroadcast to our virtual attendees with Live Q&A on November 3.
Closing Session Keynote Speaker
Dr. J Jackson-Beckham, Principal, Crafted for All
A former professor of Communication Studies, Dr. J Jackson-Beckham dedicated her academic career to the study of American beer. Today, she helps craft beverage organizations develop inclusive, equitable, and just practices that drive success, build communities, and empower individuals through her consultancy, Crafted For All, LLC. She is also the founder and Executive Director of Craft x EDU (pronounced “craft by E-D-U”), a nonprofit whose mission is to champion equity, inclusion, and justice in the craft brewing community through education and professional development. She is an author, speaker, and vocal advocate for the craft beverage community. In 2018, Dr. J was named the Brewers Association’s first ever Diversity Ambassador. Today, Jackson-Beckham leads the Brewers Association’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) department as the association’s Equity & Inclusion Partner.
The Closing Session will take place October 30 (onsite in Cleveland, OH) and rebroadcast to our virtual attendees with Live Q&A on November 5.
