State of Craft Beer

Presented by Brooklyn Brewery and First We Feast

As the leader of one of the country’s top craft breweries for twenty-six years, Brooklyn Brewery co-founder Steve Hindy brings keen insight to the beer industry as the craft beer revolution continues to boom. Steve will be moderating a discussion between Erin Lowder, General Manager of Operations at Solemn Oath Brewing; Eric McNeil, founder of Aquanaut Brewing Company; John and Ben Saller, founders and head brewers at Atlas Brewing Company; John Holl, editor of All About Beer, and other local craft beer stars covering the controversies and opportunities facing brewers today and how those situations might play out in the future.

You'll be able to revisit the evening's discussion and hear from brewers all over the world as Steve travels with the Mash through our friends at First We Feast. First We Feast is an uproarious James Beard Award-winning online hub for all things food, drink, and culture. They'll be releasing every State of Craft Beer as a podcast on their site and through iTunes so that beer drinkers around the world can find out what Steve, John and the movers and shakers of craft beer have to say about life on the front lines of the beer industry. Catch up with the previous cities on iTunes here.

Erin Lowder is the General Manager of Operations at Solemn Oath Brewing. A lifelong Chicago resident and fan of beer since her parents gave her tastes as a child, Erin was working on launching her first fashion line when she took a part-time position in Solemn Oath's new taproom in 2012. As time went by Erin's responsibilites grew, she began working more hours and eventually came on as a full time employee. She is the youngest manager at Solemn Oath, and the only woman at the helm. She is a fixture in the taproom and at beer events around the city.

Eric McNeil is the founder of Aquanaut Brewing Company. Eric was a homebrewing obsessive who began to entertain the idea of opening a brewery after spending countless hours designing intricate labels and perfecting his recipes. The brewery was originally dubbed "Strange Pelican" after one of his favorite home recipes, but had to be changed just before launching the company now known as Aquanaut Brewing Company. Eric is now focused on bringing delicious, mostly English-inspired beers to Chicago before setting Aquanaut's sights outside of city limits. He recently told The Hop Review that the next big project will be releasing cans, starting with their ESB and rye pale ale.

John Saller is the co-founder and co-head brewer of Atlas Brewing. John began brewing while "navigating the post-college wasteland of crappy office jobs," coupling that with working at a bar. He discovered that he placed great value in the importance of good beer, good company and good, fresh beer. He and his brother, Ben Saller, co-founded Atlas Brewing Company in 2012 and have been brewing "sincere Chicago beer" ever since. He has great respect for the traditional styles, but also enjoys the innovation and playfulness of new craft brewers. His priority remains the camaraderie that pairs so well with a few good pints.

Ben Saller is the co-founder and co-head brewer of Atlas Brewing with his brother, John. Ben's career started as a beer and wine salesman in Chicago, operating numerous bars and retail stores. He became the primary brewer when Atlas was founded in 2012. When he's not drinking beer, Ben occupies much of his time by tinkering with old beer recipes and designing new ones to reflect new spins on classic styles. He believes that every ingredient should be allowed to express itself in the final beer. His dedication to depth and balance in every brew has become the backbone of Atlas' philosophy of beer.

John Holl is the editor of All About Beer Magazine and the author of the American Craft Beer Cookbook. An award winning journalist, he has visited more than 950 breweries around the world, conducting research for his beer-and-travel books as well as articles for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Wine Enthusiast, the Washington Post, and many other publications. He has judged beer competitions around the world, regularly lectures on the culture of beer, and appears often on NBC’s Weekend Today in New York. Follow him @John_Holl on Twitter.

All About Beer Magazine is America’s leading beer magazine, dedicated to covering the people, places, news, trends, and events that define the beer community. For 35 years, it has been our mission to celebrate the world of beer culture and enrich the lives of beer lovers through education, enjoyment and events like the World Beer Festivals. Click here to sign up for a free trial.

Steve Hindy (co-Founder and Chairman of The Brooklyn Brewery) founded one of America’s top 25 breweries. A former journalist, he became interested in home-brewing while serving as a Beirut-based Middle East Correspondent for The Associated Press. Back in the states as Newsday’s assistant foreign editor in 1988, he began brewing his own beer and persuaded his neighbor, banker Tom Potter,to start a brewery. Hindy is a member of the Board of Directors of the Beer Institute and The Brewers Association. He is a director of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Alliance, chairman of the Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn, former chair of Brooklyn’s Tourism Consortium and a former member of Brooklyn Community Board 1. Hindy also serves on the Board of Transportation Alternatives and the Alcohol Beverage Manufacturer’s Research Foundation. With Potter, Hindy co-authored Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery, Forward by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, published by John Wiley & Sons. His second book, The Craft Beer Revolution: How A Band Of Microbrewers Are Transforming The World’s Favorite Drink was released in the spring of 2014. You can follow Steve @SteveKHindy on Twitter.

We'll be pouring:
Sorachi Ace
Quintaceratops

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