National craft beer conference is being held in Minneapolis this week
( (Photo by Thomas Banneyer/picture alliance via Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The largest craft brewing conference in the United States is in Minneapolis this week.
The Craft Brewers Conference is being held at the Minneapolis Convention Center from Monday-Thursday, May 2-5, with special events planned at craft breweries across the metro and a special brewery tour. About 9,500 people are expected to attend the conference, which includes seminars about the beer industry and the World Beer Cup 2022 awards ceremony.
In addition to the conference, Bent Paddle Brewing Co. in Duluth was selected to brew a commemorative beer for the conference. It’s called The Land of 10,000 Lagers and it will be available in Bent Paddle’s taproom, at the conference and at Smack Shack in Minneapolis.
The Craft Brewers Conference comes as Minnesota breweries continue to push for the removal of the state’s growler cap. Currently, larger Minnesota craft breweries that produce more than 20,000 barrels annually are not allowed to sell growlers to customers.
Eight breweries are approaching or are above the growler cap: Summit, Schell's, Surly, Castle Danger, Fulton, Third Street Brewhouse, Lift Bridge, and Indeed. A proposal at the Minnesota Legislature would allow breweries that produce up to 150,000 barrels annually to sell growlers to customers.