Recent years have seen the meteoric rise of non- and low-alcohol malt beverages in the American craft beer scene. Despite their rising popularity, many challenges remain. From reimagining traditional brewing ingredients to incorporating entirely new ones, recipe creation and execution for low- and non-alcohol beers can be challenging. With so many options available, where is a brewer to begin?

In this seminar, a regional craft brewery shares its story of new product development in the non- and low-alcohol malt beverage space. The presentation illuminates why certain raw materials were chosen and why others were eventually rejected. The speakers also touch upon other important considerations, such as key points brewers should be aware of when undertaking new product development, including the importance of food safety and good manufacturing practices.

The goal of this talk is to shorten the learning pathway for brewers to understand the intricacies of brewing low- and non-alcohol beverages, and also to discuss why not every brewery can or should produce them. This talk adds to the non- and low-alcohol knowledge base and serves as a foundational reference for brewers.

Learning Objectives

• Learn key points of raw material evaluation and selection
• Understand production pitfalls, risks, and the complexity of producing these products

About the Speakers

Shae Maloney

John I. Haas

Shae Maloney (she/her) works for John I. Haas as a brewing solutions specialist in Yakima, Washington. At Haas, she acts as an application development specialist on projects including the newly released HopKick, provides technical support, and is one of the coordinators behind the Haas Hops Academy. Before Shae came to Haas, she was a brewer in Bend, Oregon for just under four years. She received her Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University in 2015 in fermentation science and technology. Shae is also an active member of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas District Northwest technical committee and co-leader of the Pink Boots Society Yakima Chapter. In her free time, she likes to be outdoors and to spoil her Goldendoodle named Dobby.

Avi Shayevitz, Research Scientist

Lallemand Inc.

Avi Shayevitz (he/him) was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and currently lives in Montreal, Quebec. Avi studied at Oregon State University where he completed undergraduate and graduate degrees in food science and technology with a focus on bioinformatics and biocomputing and their application in fermentation ecologies. He was invited to join the Lallemand Brewing team in 2019, previously working for Anheuser-Busch InBev as a research brewer in Bend, Oregon. Prior to that, Avi worked in malting, grain logistics, and environmental chemistry. He is currently conducting a long-term study to determine how much poutine there is in Montreal.

Mitch Steele, Brewmaster

New Realm Brewing

Mitch Steele is the brewmaster and co-founder of New Realm Brewing Co. in Atlanta, Georgia. He has been brewing beer professionally for over 35 years, studying brewing science at the University of California, Davis and homebrewing prior to becoming a professional brewer in 1988. Mitch has managed brewing operations and innovation for four different breweries, including 14 years with Anheuser-Busch followed up by 10 years at Stone Brewing in San Diego County, where he managed all brewing operations as Stone Brewing grew from a 50,000-barrel operation to one of the top 10 largest craft brewers in the country, operating four separate breweries in two countries. In 2012, Mitch authored the Brewers Publications book IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale and in 2014, the Brewers Association (BA) awarded Mitch with the prestigious Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing. In addition to his duties at New Realm Brewing Co., which operates three breweries in the Southeast, Mitch currently chairs the BA Supply Chain Subcommittee, sits on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild, and was recently elected to the BA Board of Directors.

Kane Wille, Head Brewer

New Realm Brewing

Kane Wille is the head brewer and production manager at New Realm Brewing's largest brewery in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is responsible for the production of all of New Realm's beers and contract brewing partner beers in Virginia Beach, as well as all non-alcohol production for the brewery.