Fritz Maytag and Ken Grossman announced as keynote speakers at upcoming CBC
The Brewers Association announced today that keynote speakers Fritz Maytag and Ken Grossman will officially open the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in San Francisco, Calif. on March 23. More than 2,500 of the world’s leading brewers, brewery owners and brewing supply professionals are expected at this year’s CBC.
Maytag and Grossman are slated to engage in a wide-ranging conversation looking back on more than 40 years of craft brewing. Expect anecdotes, reflections and insider stories from these two trailblazers.
Fritz Maytag, former owner of Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco, is considered the patriarch of the American craft brewing scene. Maytag bought the historic brewery in 1965, and his focus on improved quality, intensified flavors and new ingredients changed the beer landscape forever. Today, Anchor Brewing remains one of the most traditional breweries in America. Maytag sold the brewery in 2010 to The Griffin Group, entrepreneurs who plan to preserve and expand the iconic brand.
Ken Grossman started Sierra Nevada in 1980 with a background in homebrewing, a hand-built brewhouse and some interesting ideas about beer that were inspired by his visits with Maytag and Jack McAuliffe. Today, Sierra Nevada is one of America’s longest-running craft startups, and is known for its innovation and relentless pursuit of quality.
When Sierra Nevada first opened its doors, there were less than 50 brewing companies in the United States. Today, there are more than 1,600 craft breweries in operation, and American brewers lead the world in variety of styles, innovation, experimentation and quality.
Together, Maytag and Grossman brewed Fritz and Ken’s Ale, a Pioneers Stout, as part of Sierra Nevada’s 30th anniversary series.