Elysian Brewing co-founder Dick Cantwell is going to work for the Brewers Association.
Less than four months after Cantwell resigned from Anheuser-Busch InBev — the international brewing conglomerate that in January acquired the famed Seattle-based beer company he helped start – the former brewmaster will step in as the organization’s new “quality ambassador.”
The BA, which represents the interests of America’s small and independent brewers, yesterday announced that Cantwell would fill the newly created position and begin traveling to country to make presentations at state guild conferences and “other places where brewers gather,” a statement said.
“A commitment to ensuring high quality craft beer is a top priority for the Brewers Association,” BA director Paul Gatza said in a press statement. “Dick not only understands this mission, he appreciates what quality truly means and how it is achieved. He will be a tremendous asset to our membership and the entire craft brewing industry in this new role.”
In his new role as quality ambassador, Cantwell will work closely with the organization’s “quality subcommittee,” which was formed at the end of 2014 with the goal of advocating for quality products and providing technical guidance to BA members.
“I am delighted to be given this opportunity to connect with friends old and new around the country, helping to instill the culture of quality in beer and in business as we all strive to stay passionate and committed to this movement we’ve all created,” Cantwell said in the statement.
Cantwell has a long history with the BA. He served on the organization’s board of directors for seven years, helping to shape the organization’s policies and its definition of what it means to be a craft brewery, and penned the group’s “Guide to Starting Your Own Brewery” book.