The American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC), a nonprofit professional association dedicated to scientific excellence in beer and other fermented beverages, and the Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers (CIBD), a professional association providing gold-standard technical qualifications and support programmes for the global beverage industry, announce that there will be a special joint congress in 2026.
Established in 1886, CIBD is headquartered in London, England, with around 3,000 members spread across 90 countries.
With headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A., ASBC brings nearly 100 years of history bringing uniformity to the brewing industry on a technical level with over 1,000 members across nearly 40 countries.
This collaboration brings together two of the brewing and distilling industry's most respected scientific organisations from August 17 to 19, 2026, in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. The title of the congress is Global Brewing and Distilling Innovation – Shaping the Future Together.
“We are delighted to confirm a new partnership between ASBC and CIBD for our 2026 Congress in Seattle. By combining the recognised scientific strengths of both organisations, we are creating a unique collaborative platform for colleagues across the brewing and distilling sectors to connect, exchange insights and advance scientific excellence.
We look forward to welcoming you to Seattle.” Professor Katherine Smart, ASBC President told That's Food and Drink.
Both ASBC and CIBD will offer sessions to increase attendee technical acumen and skills in brewing, fermentationand distilling. Raphael Grisoni, President of the CIBD, states “This exciting partnership brings together two of the world's leading organisations in brewing and distilling.
Our combined reach will ensure the congress in Seattle will be a genuinely global event with brewers, distillers, suppliers, academics and students coming together for three days to showcase and discuss the great science and innovation taking place in the sector. It promises to be an event that will drive collaborations that will last for many years”.
Both ASBC and CIBD have a long history of hosting international events for the brewing, distilling and related industries—with recent collaboration on the 2024 World Brewing Congress, and are looking forward to this new opportunity. The 2026 meeting in Seattle aims to be equally as successful under their partnership.
Planning is underway for the 2026 meeting with abstract submissions opening shortly. For more information go to www.asbcnet.org/events/2026Meeting.
FACTFILE:-
The American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) was founded in 1934 to improve and bring uniformity to the brewing industry on a scientific level. Today, ASBC is a nonprofit, membership-based, professional association with a global community working toward scientific excellence in brewing and fermented beverages. Society members can be found on nearly every continent and in breweries of all sizes, working in the brewing and allied industries, as well as in government and academia.
The society works to ensure high quality and safety standards, provide science-based solutions to industry-wide issues, evaluate raw materials for optimum performance, and foster professional development opportunities for brewing chemists worldwide. ASBC provides a variety of scientific resources to the brewing community, including the Journal of the ASBC, ASBC Methods of Analysis, Fishbone References, and multiple events and online education offerings, among others. For the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on ASBC, visit www.asbcnet.org.
The Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers, established in 1886, delivers technical qualifications and support programmes for the beverage industries that are recognised around the world. The qualification ladder starts at an introductory level and ends with the Institute’s highest qualification, Master Brewer and Master Distiller.
The CIBD’s qualifications and global community of experts and members enables individuals in the sector to learn, connect and thrive. The CIBD connects people with an international peer network to help them and their businesses to succeed in the competitive and challenging drinks market. To find out more, visit www.cibd.org.uk
