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Feb 24, 2015
Boston, MA
Brew Talks Boston 2015
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Brew Talks: Building a Beer Culture in Boston

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Around this time each year, a number of listicles proclaiming the “best beer cities in America” hit the web, usually published by outlets surveying the landscape based solely on breweries and popular beer bars. Inevitably, Boston finds its way onto a few of those lists, but when you ask brewers and bar owners how the city compares to other well-known beer towns like Portland, Denver and San Diego – which are also routinely featured on those same lists — you hear a different story.

While Boston no doubt drinks its fair share of alcohol – the Center for Disease Control named the city drunkest city in America in 2014 — it lacks two key attributes of cities with highly-regarded beer cultures: production breweries in Boston proper and bars focusing on high-end, artisanal craft offerings.

That’s why Brewbound has invited Boston’s most innovative brewers and bar managers to discuss the local beer scene at next Tuesday’s Brew Talks meetup, being held at the Harpoon Brewery taproom.

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Jean-Claude Tetreault, the founder of Boston’s third production brewery, Trillium, will join Row 34’s Megan Parker-Gray and Cisco Brewers’ national sales director Peter Burke in a conversation on building a beer culture in Boston. Together, the trio will examine reasons why Boston’s beer culture has, despite considerable development in recent years, still trailed behind other major cities.

Throughout the discussion, Tetreault will discuss his struggles trying to build and expand his brewery in Boston and explain why his company was ultimately forced to explore opportunities outside of the city. Parker-Gray, who over the last year has curated one of the top beer lists in the city, will share her perspective on Boston’s on-premise environment and explain how Row 34 is helping to grow consumer acceptance of more nuanced craft offerings. Burke, who routinely visits and surveys other markets where Cisco beer is sold, will share his takeaways from cities like San Diego, where more than 100 craft brewers have become an integral part of the city’s retail landscape.

Brew Talks — gatherings designed to provide craft brewers, distributors and retailers the opportunity to come together and have in-depth discussions on the business side of craft beer – will offer attendees an excellent opportunity to gain business lessons and network with other beverage entrepreneurs. Beer industry professionals are invited to join the Boston meetup, being held inside of Harpoon’s spacious Beer Hall, at 5:00 P.M. on Tuesday, February 24. Panel discussions will begin promptly at 5:30 P.M. and guests are invited to network and fuss over Harpoon’s beers until 8:00 P.M.

In addition to hosting conversations with industry experts, Brewbound will also be raising money for Harpoon Helps, the brewery’s philanthropic arm. 100 percent of the admission sales will be donated to Harpoon Helps.

A second panel discussion on succession planning for craft brewers will also be featured.

About Brew Talks:

Since hosting our first event in the basement of a craft beer bar in Boston in 2013, the meetup series has developed into a multi-city tour where beer industry professionals can come together inside of some of the country’s most recognizable craft breweries and share business insights with one another. In less than two years, we’ve hosted 19 meetups, in 15 U.S. cities, and connected with thousands of individuals from all tiers of the industry. The events are also broadcast globally via a free live stream.