Whew! I’m back from a roller coaster tour of Michigan breweries. I drove nearly five hundred miles in five days to visit nine different breweries throughout the state. I have several hours of great interviews to transcribe and about 750 photos to edit. I’ll be busy for quite a while. Stay tuned for a recap of the trip and a series of interviews with some of the best Michigan brewers.

In the meantime, I have one more day to catch my breathe before the Craft Brewers Conference kicks off in San Francisco tomorrow. I had to work my butt off to get a media pass and I’ll be providing coverage of the festivities for my other site BayAreaCraftBeer.com. I’m pretty excited about sinking my teeth into the seminars and special events. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the business of craft beer and meet a wide range of industry professionals.

Here are some of the seminars and events I’m interested in attending each day:

Wednesday, March 23

– Welcome Reception at the California Academy of Sciences

Thursday, March 24

– Keynote Address by Fritz Maytag & Ken Grossman

Seminars:

– Owens-Illinois (O-I) Sustainability Presentation
– Government Affairs Update
– Delaware Calagione and the Lost Temple of Yeast

Events:

– TCHO Chocolate & Brewers Supply Group Tasting, TCHO Factory, Pier 17, San Francisco.
– Upright Brewing at The Trappist, Oakland.

Friday, March 25

Seminars:

– Building Your Brand Through Word of Mouth Marketing
– The Versatility of American Hops
– Barrel-Aged Sour Beers from Two Belgian’s Perspectives
– Working with Chefs

Events:

– Deschutes Beer Tasting (Media Event), City Beer Store, San Francisco.
– Marrón Acidifié Kick-Off, Rosamunde Sausage, San Francisco.

Saturday, March 26

Seminars:

– The Long View of the Big Picture
– Beyond Hops and Malt: Infusing Passion and Creativity into the Brewing Process
– The Green Brewery Project
– Tapping the Potential of the Boomer Market