BIG: "As the industry grows and technology changes, guilds can have a stronger voice than ever."

Admittedly, I haven't been playing very close attention, but The Brewer Magazine ... based at 719 E Kentucky Street in Louisville? The articles seem solid. Can someone bring me up to date?

Meanwhile, it's gratifying to see some good ink for the Brewers of Indiana Guild.

Guilds Find Ways to Connect Breweries with Consumers & Each Other, by By Jon Sicotte (The Brewer Magazine)

A state guild can be key in connecting fellow brewers to other brewers, and state breweries to the consuming public.

Finding new and exciting ways to do that has been on the mind of the Brewers of Indiana Guild, which has seen the number of breweries in the state nearly double in the last two-plus years. That means needed communication and more resources for not just educating the public on craft beer in the Hoosier state, but also educating and introducing the various breweries to each other. That partnership can lead to strong communal ties and a bigger voice in unison when needed.

“As the industry grows and technology changes, guilds can have a stronger voice than ever,” said Brewers of Indiana Guild Communication Director Tristan Schmid.

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Rob Caputo will serve as interim executive director of the Brewers of Indiana Guild after Lee Smith steps down.

There never was much of a public explanation as to why my friend Rob Caputo left Flat12 Bierwerks earlier this year, and it's not my objective here to speculate, but when he exited Flat12, he also left the board of the Brewers of Indiana Guild.

Now another friend, Lee Smith, is leaving her position as executive director of the guild, and Rob's filling in on an interim basis, pending the usual hiring process.

And: I'm gradually negotiating the sale of my share of NABC to my partners. When that's finished, I'll resign from the guild's board. Until it is, well, I'm not dead yet.

All the best to Lee headed one direction, and Rob another. Good people all around. At some point, when it's really necessary, I'll allow myself to think about how much I'll miss the many good folks in the brewing business -- and there are many.

Not yet, though. There's too much to do.

A Note from the President

As most of you are aware, the Guild's Executive Director, Lee Smith, will be stepping down at the end of the month.

Lee was this organization’s first Executive Director and helped us position ourselves as one of the nation’s best guilds. We wouldn’t be where we are today without her contribution. We thank her for her years of service and wish her the very best of luck in her future pursuits. Cheers, Lee!

Along that vein, we are proud to announce that Rob Caputo, former board member and Vice President, has accepted the role as Interim Executive Director through the end of the year. We look forward to utilizing Rob’s experience and organizational skills to lead us into the future. Welcome back to the team, Rob!

We will also be forming a hiring committee to begin the interview process for a long term replacement for the position. That process is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Thanks to all for your support of Brewers of Indiana Guild!

Greg Emig
President
Brewers of Indiana Guild

Josh Hill departs Floyd County Brewing Company.

Josh Hill is good people. He worked for NABC for a very long time, and fully earned his sobriquet of "Brewery Badass." No one works harder or is more reliable, and when he had the chance to take the head brewer position at the Floyd County Brewing Company start-up just down the street, I hated to lose him -- and was delighted for him.

They all leave the nest sooner or later, I guess.

Yesterday Josh made this announcement at Facebook. It's all I know at this point, so don't ask.

I am officially leaving my position as Head Brewer at Floyd County Brewing Co. I won't go over the details of why I came to this decision, but it has been made. I want to thank everyone for their support and encouragment during this process and I apologize that things didn't turn out as expected. I'm going to take a little time to relax and collect myself and then hit the job market. Cheers!

Strange timing, indeed. FCBC has not even opened. Ironically, I learned of Josh's departure while concluding a wonderful chat with Rob Caputo, whose position at Flat12 these past months is ... shall we say, complicated?

Of course, I'm on leave of absence from NABC, and my position in my own company is ... shall we repeat, complicated?

Forks in the road seem to be numerous, and given the recent rains in Indiana, often flooded, so as everyone consults their maps, permit me to with the very best to Josh and Rob. There are many untested entities in the "craft" beer world, but these two have a great track record.

Me?

I'll settle for being mayor.