Rocky Mountain Craft Brewers Unite for Two Days of Events

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On Friday February 22 BA staff members Erin Glass and Sarah White traveled to Colorado Springs to attend several events uniting craft brewers from across the Rocky Mountain region. The weekend began with the 18th annual Rocky Mountain Microbrewing Symposium (RMMS). Hosted each year by University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, this conference offered a full day of lectures on topics across a broad spectrum of craft brewing disciplines– from technical brewing to Colorado beer history and marketing best practices. The industry-expert speakers passed on their knowledge to nearly 150 attendees.

In addition to the seven lectures, attendees had the opportunity to peruse the exhibitor booths of conference sponsors.

The evening commenced with a closing reception hosted at the local brewpub, Trinity Brewing.

As is the case each year, the next day was reserved for a Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG) meeting and their annual Firkin Rendezvous. The CBG meets three times each year, this meeting being the first. Executive Director, John Carlson, led the meeting held at Bristol Brewing. Carlson covered the State and Federal legislative update and new member resources including an online forum. Steve Kurowski, Marketing and Communications Director, updated the group on the new collaborative POS discounts available to members, the beer enthusiast membership SOCIAL, as well as the upcoming Colorado Beer Week to be celebrated March 18-24.

Following the meeting it was all-hands-on-deck to tap the firkins and prepare for the festival attendees to arrive. The festival brought in 250 attendees and is an important fundraiser for the CBG.

The weekend’s events are an increasingly valuable opportunity for professional development, networking, and collaboration. As the Colorado brewing industry continues to grow, so does the importance of the well-organized Colorado Brewers Guild.


The Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG) was founded in 1995 by Colorado craft brewers in an effort to promote the quality and diversity of the growing Colorado craft brewing industry. The CBG provides valuable information to the beer-drinking public and the media while also serving to protect the industry and promote positive public policy for Colorado craft brewers.