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Owen Ogletree's
Monthly Brewtopia Brewsletter
May 5, 2024
Owen is founder/editor of Brewtopia.info, a group beer trip organizer, columnist for Southern Brew News and Beer Connoisseur Magazine, lecturer at Knoxville's Brewing & Distilling Center, founder of the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting, and a BJCP National Beer Judge.
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Follow our craft beer adventures...
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- Women of Beer: Jen Price
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 By Kerri Allen
Women exist everywhere in the beer industry. We focus on brewers, brewery owners and the like, but it takes many people to create a beer community. Jen Price (pictured to the right) ranks as one of these people. Jen founded Crafted for Action, an events company that builds community through safe, inclusive and welcoming experiences, including an annual conference. Jen also co-founded Craft Women Connect, a community of diverse women whose goal is to explore and connect through a shared love of craft beer.
Like many who find a home in the craft beer community, all it took was that first good craft beer to lure us in. When asked how craft beer became important to her and how she arrived at her current position, Jen answers, “I've loved beer my entire life, and my first taste of beer came from my dad when I was about five years old! I got introduced to craft beer during a college internship in the 90s. I was in Boulder, Colorado and had been accustomed to drinking pretty underwhelming beer until I was introduced to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I was immediately hooked! I spent the next few decades learning about craft beer and being in the 'mix' locally by volunteering at beer festivals and participating as a steward at homebrewing competitions.
Early Motivations & Accomplishments
Jen remembers her disappointment at never seeing many people of color or women at these craft beer events, so she eventually started hosting her own tastings and pairing events with the goal of exposing a diverse crowd to the joys of great ales and lagers. "Diversity in this industry has always been really important to me," she says. "I then took the level one cicerone exam, self-published a book called The Chick's Guide to Beer and eventually started working toward my dream of opening a craft beer retail shop - The Atlanta Beer Boutique. I found a space in 2019 and built it out, but then the pandemic happened, and I basically lost everything that I invested in the space. This experience was the impetus for Crafted for Action, which I launched initially as a virtual conference. Now, the event is more of a hybrid format.”
With some of the negativity documented over the last few years in the beer community towards women and people of color in the industry, it is essential to focus on the positive. Jen believes that the community aspect is what she loves most about being a part of the beer community. When building her business, Jen remembers, “ I reached out to so many people and potential competitors when opening the beer boutique, and everyone was willing to talk to me, give me advice, have a beer with me, and help review my business plan. People were honest with me about the challenges and lessons learned; almost everyone wanted to help me and see me win. The community aspect is why, after having to shutter the doors of my business before it even opened, I returned to the industry and launched a new business.”
Jen Prices taps a cask at Crafted for Action
Generating Interest & Support
What formed a big challenge for Jen when creating the conference? “Honestly, getting started and convincing myself that anyone would attend, participate in and support a black woman-produced beer conference worried me," she recalls. "Like lots of folks who find themselves in spaces where they may not totally feel they belong, I suffer greatly from imposter syndrome. It was hard for me to really believe that an annual conference would work.” Jen talks about her greatest reward by saying, "Ironically, seeing people actually show up to support the conference has been extremely satisfying." This level of support sounds like positive validation that these types of events are needed in the beer community.
A Demographic Offering Potential for Growth
When asked why women and minorities are vital to the industry, Jen responds, “Diversity in any industry begets innovation and creativity. Beer is no different. This seems obvious in recent trends in the market with brewery closures, shifting tastes of consumers, and people adopting healthier lifestyles. Additionally, the fastest-growing craft beer consumer groups are people of color and women of color. Beer consumption by white men has remained the same for decades, and the same is basically true for white women. So, women of color and people of color are the future sustainability of this industry. It makes good business sense to pay attention to this. And finally, everyone should feel welcome and enjoy a sense of belonging. We can do more to ensure that taprooms, beer events, conferences, festivals and any place where people drink beer feel like spaces that are open and welcoming to all.”
What strategies does Jen see as key to attracting more women and people of color to the industry? She reiterates, “I think we attract more women and people of color through direct marketing, creating opportunities and events that are unique and fresh and making taprooms physically more inviting and attractive.”
Readers wanting to learn more about Jen Price and Crafted For Action should be a part of the Crafted For Action annual conference on June 19-22 online and in Atlanta. People can participate by submitting a panel idea, becoming a sponsor, volunteering, spreading the word, or simply buying a ticket to attend.
Learn more: www.CraftedForAction.com/conference
Owen Ogletree will be doing a talk on "Recognizing Off-Flavors in Beer" at this empowering Atlanta craft beer conference on June 21.
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- Why the Craft Brewers Conference is So Rewarding
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By Owen Ogletree
Last April's Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) & Brew Expo America took place in fabulous Las Vegas. The event brings together craft brewers from around the world. When strolling through the conference and exhibitor halls, one can sense the enthusiasm and eagerness among the attending brewers. Unlike many other business models, craft brewers love to share, collaborate and build each other up. With each presentation, panel and social network gathering, the CBC promotes and encourages these qualities with deep earnestness and veracity. Diversity and inclusion also form a vital focus at the conference.
 Organized by Colorado's Brewers Association, the CBC offers educational programs and allows international and domestic brewers to come together to share ideas, make contacts, problem-solve and discover new solutions and resources—usually over a beer. CBC also forms the culmination of several blind judging sessions of the annual World Beer Cup that awards medals to the best world-class global beers in several categories. Judges in each category were given beer samples identified only by an anonymous number, and judge teams sniffed, tasted, discussed and decided on the top entries.
This year's World Beer Cup boasted 9,300 entries from 2,060 breweries in 50 countries. 290 beer judges from 37 different countries judged the beers according to strict style guidelines in 110 beer style categories, and medal winners were announced at an impressive and boisterous awards ceremony taking place at the conclusion of the CBC.
Winners celebrate at the World Beer Cup Awards Ceremony
Being from Georgia, I wanted to mention our four medal winners from the Peach State:
- Bronze went to Tie XII from Monday Night Brewing Garage in the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout category.
- Gold was awarded to The Virtue of Patience from Bold Monk Brewing in the Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer group.
- Bronze went to Hazy West Coast IPA by SweetWater/Green Flash in the Juicy/Hazy Pale Ale category.
- Bronze was presented to Bartow Brown from Drowned Valley Brewing Company in the American-Style Brown Ale category.
2024's most entered style categories in the World Beer Cup:
1. Category 109, Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale: 326 entries
2. Category 110, West-Coast Style India Pale Ale: 281 entries
3. Category 40, German-Style Pilsener: 221 entries
4. Category 108, American-Style India Pale Ale: 213 entries
5. Category 29, Wood & Barrel-Aged Strong Stout: 198 entries
As an attending media representative at CBC, I was honored to attend the welcome reception, stroll through the expansive hall of exhibitors and chat about the current state of the craft brewing industry. I also enjoyed sipping beers in various hospitality suites and sitting in on informative seminars such as:
- Exploring Hop Picking Windows and Their Impact on Aroma and Flavor
- Exploring the Boundaries of Innovation: Biotechnology and Brewing Ingredients
- The Flavor of Your Taproom: How the Drinking Atmosphere Shifts the Taste and Memory of Beer
- Getting Your Guests into Your Taproom and Keeping Them There.
- Beyond Cell Counts: Off-Flavor Sensory for Aspiring Yeast Whisperers
Owen Ogletree chats with BJCP Grand Master Beer Judge Sandy Cockerham at Silver Stamp Pub
Of course, all the visiting CBC brewers enjoyed evenings of sipping brews around the best taprooms, bars and breweries in Las Vegas. Many facilities offered special celebrations, beer tastings, rare beer tappings, and opportunities to network. Among my favorite beer spots in Vegas were Atomic Liquors, Hop Nuts Brewing, CraftHaus Brewery, Nevada Beer Works, Able Baker Brewing and the extraordinary Silver Stamp pub. Silver Stamp is only around three years old but was built to make customers feel like they'd entered a neighborhood dive bar from the 1960s. However, this Vegas "dive bar" offers the best international beer selection in the city. Of course, no beer trip to Vegas would be complete without a visit to the city's amazingly accurate and enjoyable recreation of Munich's Hofbräuhaus.
Want to learn more about the intricate details of craft beer? Are you thinking of starting a brewery or amping up your current brewing business? Please plan to join me at the Brewers Association's 2025 Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America which will be held from April 28 to May 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
CBC/World Beer Cup photos courtesy of Brewers Association.
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- Modern Hops Brings Sprecher's Beers to Georgia
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 Georgia craft beer distributor Modern Hops is bringing delightful beers and sodas to Georgia from Wisconsin's classic Sprecher Brewing:
 Abbey Triple, Sprecher (8.41% Belgian Tripel) is a Belgian Trappist triple-yeast culture balanced with the finest imported pale barley, Belgian aromatic malt and oats, gives this golden ale a fruity bouquet and a light refined taste.
Black Bavarian, Sprecher (6% Schwarzbier) is an intensely dark Kulmbacher style lager has a superb malt complexity with the distinctive flavors and aromas of coffee, caramel and chocolate.
Original Lager, Sprecher (4.5% American Lager) is a crushable, easy drinking lager for any occasion. Crisp and refreshing with hints of caramel and bready character.
Special Amber, Sprecher (5% Vienna Lager) is a medium-bodied German-style lager. A delicate balance of toasted malt and fresh hops give an intriguing, complex malt flavor. A creamy head, deep golden color and an impressive hop bouquet make this a very special beer.
Flavorful sodas from Sprecher include: Blueberry & Raspberry Lemonades, Black Cherry, Cherry Cola, Cream Soda, Orange Dream and Root Beer.
Modern Hops is a valued sponsor of this Brewsletter.
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- Follow Owen Ogletree and Brewtopia Events on Social Media
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UP NEXT...
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Next week, Owen Ogletree and Sachin Patel visit outstanding breweries in Belgium and Northern France with legendary beer importer Joel Shelton. Watch our social media for information and photos.
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