The Brewers Association (BA) Basics of Beer Quality–Hands-on Workshop, supports the vision of the BA quality subcommittee–to develop a membership that consistently produces beer of high quality.
The full-day workshop covers the fundamentals underlying some of the most common methods used to ensure consistency and quality in a craft brewery. With a hands-on approach, attendees will have the opportunity to use lab equipment and practice quality analysis methods.
About the Workshop Team

Mary Pellettieri – Quality Instructor
Mary Pellettieri began her career in brewing as a chemist and microbiologist at the Siebel Institute of Technology and World Brewing Academy in Chicago, where she also taught sensory management. She later managed the quality program for Chicago’s Goose Island Beer Company and was the quality manager for the historic MillerCoors Milwaukee brewery. Mary also authored Quality Management: Essential Planning for Breweries, a guidebook published by Brewers Publications that provides key concepts and tools for developing a quality management program for breweries of all types and sizes.

Lauren Torres – Quality Instructor
Lauren Torres entered the brewing industry shortly after graduating from Kalamazoo College with a B.A. in chemistry. She currently serves as lab manager at Bell’s Brewery, Inc., where she leads a dedicated team involved with chemistry, microbiology, and sensory analysis. Lauren has also taught the Siebel Institute of Technology’s Quality Course, and has presented at local and national conferences for the American Society of Brewing Chemists, American Society for Quality (ASQ), Craft Brewers Conference, and Master Brewers Association of the Americas.

Melissa Antone – Quality Trainer
Melissa Antone assists with the hands-on training portion of the Basics of Beer Quality Workshops. Her passion for beer started while studying biology at the University of Delaware and working for Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant. She eventually relocated to Colorado and joined the quality assurance department at Avery Brewing Company, where she worked in the lab and developed a formal sensory program. Antone later joined Cara Technology Ltd. and AROXA®, providing sensory training to craft brewers. Currently, with Kathinka Labs, she specializes in quality assurance, and trains brewers in both lab analysis and sensory evaluation.
2018 Schedule
Location | City, State | Date | Registration Details |
Half Acre Beer Co. | Chicago, Ill. | June 1 | Details |
Bell’s Brewery | Comstock, Mich. | July 13 | Watch for registration details |
Ninkasi Brewing Company | Eugene, Oreg. | Oct. 26 | Watch for registration details |
For more information about quality instructor workshops, please contact BA Technical Brewing Projects Coordinator Damon Scott.