Speakers

Dave Engbers is a co-founder and president of Founders Brewing Company. Founders has made its distinctive mark on the craft beer community by brewing complex, in-your-face ales, with huge aromatics and tons of flavor. It is one of the fastest-growing craft breweries in the nation, currently ranking among the top-50 largest craft breweries in the U.S. The brewery has received numerous awards from the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival, and its beers are often rated among the best in the world by RateBeer and BeerAdvocate users.

Fred Bueltmann: aka The Beervangelist, is an owner of New Holland Brewing Company, where he serves as Vice President of Brand and Lifestyle. He is a nationally recognized expert on pairing beer and food, and a Certified Cicerone?. Bueltmann is past president of the Michigan Brewers Guild and recipient of their prestigious "Tom Burns Award" recognizing the pioneering spirit of the "Great Beer State." Fred serves as a judge for the Brewer's Association's Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup. His first book, "Beervangelist's Guide to the Galaxy" is a seasonal tome on pairing, cooking and hosting with craft beer, and was recognized as an Indie Book Award finalist. Fred speaks to audiences large and small around the country, which has included serving as 2013 Keynote Speaker for the Michigan Restaurant Association and TedX Macatawa in 2015.

I was born in New York, but spent most of my childhood in Maine. I moved with my mother to Grand Rapids during high school and started working in various bars and restaurant and continued to do so through college. On the side I would help my uncle and his colleagues at Imperial Beverage with merchandising and events, helping to further my interest in craft beer. I started at HopCat in April of 2012 and started becoming a greater part of the beer program. Recently, with the expansion of HopCat, I have taken over the beer program at the newer Ann Arbor location.