What is the future of beer in the post-Covid era? How can brewers make beer environmentally friendly and ensure that brewing contributes even more to the green recovery? What are the latest innovations bringing new styles, expanding traditional methods and improving sustainability?
These are some of the issues facing more than 1,700 brewers, suppliers, policymakers, NGOs and others at the 2021 edition of The Brewers Forum, which will take place from June 1 to 4.
The Brewers Forum, now in its third edition, is being held online at a time when Europe is finally starting to open up its bars, cafés and restaurants, more than a year after the coronavirus pandemic forced them to close. It is organised by The Brewers of Europe, the trade association promoting the interests of more than 11,000 breweries from across the continent.
In recent years, the brewing sector has been exploring a variety of new ideas to become more sustainable and more responsible. The Brewers Forum will show that despite everything that has happened, Europe’s brewers have the energy and imagination needed to make their pils, lagers, bitters, stouts, IPAs and other brews more enticing and greener than ever.
The Brewers of Europe’s President Lasse Aho will tell participants that the Forum must be a moment for the entire beer supply chain to rebuild and reconnect after an unprecedented period of disruption. “This crisis is not over. However, we can now see some light at the end of the tunnel,” he will say. “We, the members of the brewing community, will be able to turn the challenges into opportunities. We are all smart and innovative enough to demonstrate that we can go through difficult times and shape the brightest future possible.”
The Brewers Forum will feature some of the biggest names in beer, including Asahi Group President and CEO Atsushi Katsuki and Heineken CEO Dolf van den Brink. The Forum’s 19 individual sessions will address and debate a broad variety of topics ranging from recycling and recovery to innovative brewing techniques, marketing and packaging.
Sustainability will be a key theme as the beer supply chain continues to find ways to cut its carbon footprint, improve water usage and fully integrate circularity. The Forum is an official partner event of the EU Green Week taking place at the same time, and it will showcase the efforts over the years by the beer sector and supply chain at large to make brewing greener.
Other sessions will look at how to bring new flavour and body to beer through barrel-ageing, the modernisation of historical and preserved beer styles, marketing beers in a fast-changing and increasingly competitive environment, and how smaller brewers can brew the perfect lager.
The Brewers Forum is free to access and will be held June 1 to 4, 2021. Click here for full details, including the programme and registration details.
Contact
Simon Spillane, Communications and Public Affairs Director, sws@brewersofeurope.org, @brewersofeurope
About The Brewers of Europe
Based in Brussels, The Brewers of Europe brings together national brewers’ associations from 29 European countries and provides a voice to support the united interests of Europe’s 11,000 breweries. The Brewers of Europe promotes the positive role played by beer and the brewing sector in Europe and advocates the creation of the right conditions to allow brewers to continue to freely, cost-effectively and responsibly brew and market beer across Europe. Follow us on Twitter and visit our website.