The American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) and The Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers (CIBD) Announce Partnership

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

The Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers Launches its Latest Short Course: Whisk(e)y Production

The Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers (CIBD), the most widely recognised provider of technical education in the distilling industry, has launched a brand new self-assessed and on demand technical short course in Whisk(e)y Production.

TheWhisk(e)y Production course is the latest in a hugely popular series of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) short courses. It's aimed at distillers producing whisk(e)y in distilleries of all sizes, providing a practical understanding of all stages of the whisk(e)y production processes.

The course provides essential knowledge and best practice for whisk(e)y production at a commercial scale.

The course covers raw materials, how to understand their specifications, how they’re used to produce wort, fermentation, batch and continuous still distillation, maturation and blending. It also explains how to assess and analyse whiskies using laboratory and sensory methods.

This course has been developed in collaboration with leading distillers and spirits experts. These include:

Billy Mitchell – Consultant, Will and Spirit Limited

Ian Thorn – Master Distiller and Operations Manager, Starward Whisky Distillery

Chris Thomson – Master Distiller, Pernod Ricard

Kim Møller-Elshøj - Consultant, Whiskymaker & Co

The Whisk(e)y Production course provides the same technical excellence found in all CIBD qualifications, without needing to take a formal exam.

The course includes a downloadable PDF with technical information including :

A summary of the key points of the course

Details of the significance of the analyses carried out during productionKey calculations for whisk(e)y production

An overview of whisk(e)y production from raw materials through to blending

The course features text, videos, animations, quizzes, and online games to enhance learning. At the end of the course, learners receive a Certificate of Completion.

On this announcement, Ed Wray, Technical Development Manager for distilling, told That's Food and Drink: “This short course provides in-depth scientific and technical information specifically about whisk(e)y production. 

"It's written in collaboration with experts in the field and with the technical rigour and accuracy you rightfully expect from the CIBD. 

"If you want to gain an understanding of whisk(e)y production from grain to glass, or you want to optimise your whisk(e)y production processes, then this is the course for you!”

https://www.cibd.org.uk

Megan Sheehy is the new president of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling

The Institute of Brewing & Distilling is pleased and delighted to announce that Dr Megan Sheehy is its new President. 

Megan is taking on the role from Bhavya Mandanna and will become the IBD’s second successive female President and the fourth woman in this role in the entire history of the organisation.

The announcement was made at the 19th IBD Annual General Meeting (AGM) held this week, in which Bhavya Mandanna finalised her two-year tenure. She will remain on the Board of Trustees in the role of Immediate Past President of the IBD.

In the same AGM, Raphaël Grisoni has become Vice President of the IBD. Raphaël is an international drinks industry leader with a wealth of experience in the Scotch whisky, champagne and rum industries.

Megan, Raphaël and Bhavya reflect the breadth and global reach of the IBD, the world’s leading provider of professional development in brewing, distilling and related industries.

As the new President, Megan’s primary responsibilities will be Board leadership, prioritising the growth and development of the IBD. Megan will concentrate on promoting membership engagement and value at this exciting point in the IBD’s history following the recent granting of chartership status.

Based in Adelaide, Megan has over two decades of experience in the barley, malting and brewing industries, having worked with Joe White Maltings, Lion, and most recently Barley Australia, prior to joining Grains Australia Limited as General Manager Classification in February 2022.

Dr Megan Sheehy is a Fellow of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) and a former Director and Chairperson for the Board of Management for the IBD’s Asia Pacific Section.

“It really is an honour and a privilege to accept the role of the President of the IBD and I would like to thank Bhavya and the Board of Trustees for the immense amount of work that was completed over the last two years.

"The IBD is the leading technical education provider and global network of professionals working in brewing, distilling and allied industries which sets the gold standard and excellence in technical knowledge in the sector. I am proud to have the opportunity to lead the Board through this important time and to continue growing the global relevance and reach of the IBD”, said Megan Sheehy, IBD President.

Tom Shelston, IBD CEO said: “We're delighted to have Megan as our new President. She is passionate about the industry and brings a lot of experience from her impressive career which will further support our ambitions to serve the industry.

"I’d also like to recognise the fantastic job that Bhavya has done in the last two years in continuing to grow the global reach and reputation of the IBD.

"Megan, Raphaël and Bhavya reflect the breath and reach of the IBD Boards expertise and experience, providing incredible oversight and strategic direction for the IBD at this exciting point in our history said Tom Shelston."

Great news! The Institute of Brewing & Distilling has been granted chartered status

The Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD) is delighted and proud to announce it has been granted Chartered status.

In one of the most important milestones in its entire history, the IBD intends to proudly become the Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers from the 1st of January next year, 2024.

Chartership represents the absolute highest accolade any professional institution can receive to raise the professional status of its membership.

As a chartered organisation, the IBD will be able to provide brewers, distillers, and allied industry professionals with a globally recognised mark of quality and set standards of professionalism and performance. 

As a result, this will help them thrive in their careers, like other chartered professionals in areas like engineering, accountancy and medicine.

Chartered status will also assist the IBD to build public trust and confidence in the global drinks industry and build recognition for its importance to society and the economy. 

What's more, the Charter reinforces the credibility of the IBD in delivering excellence in professional qualifications for the drinks industry.

To achieve the benefits of Chartership for its members, the IBD will embark on a strategic programme to deliver a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) pathway. This will ensure future Chartered members will maintain their professional credibility via continuous acquisition of the latest industry technical knowledge and adherence to a professional code of conduct.

These Chartered Members of the IBD will gain the credibility to raise their professional profiles and become more marketable in a higher-valued industry. 

For businesses, this means they will be able to identify and recruit talented professionals trained to the highest industry standards, capable of addressing strategic local and global needs.

The process to be granted this chartered status started four years ago and has involved the valuable support of key drinks industry and education organisations, as well as the IBD’s members who overwhelmingly endorsed the proposal at an Extraordinary General Meeting in June 2022. The next two years will be very exciting for the IBD with the development of robust structures required to drive excellence in professional standards for its members.

Tom Shelston, IBD Chief Executive Officer said:  “Chartership brings the highest accolade for professionals working within our industry, providing rightful recognition and respect of the science and art of brewing and distilling across the globe. The new Chartered status will help us create a united and connected fellowship of likeminded professionals committed to their continued development in pursuit of mastering their profession.”

Bhavya Mandanna, IBD President went on to say: “Achievement of chartered status for the IBD is a historic change and is of of great pride for us all. 

"Gaining recognition for our contribution to professional development in our and our allied industries will only spur us on to achieve greater heights through a robust framework of continuous professional development. 

"On behalf of the IBD Board, I would like to thank everyone in our organisation, past and present, who have all worked tirelessly and without cease to achieve this industry accolade, our industry partners who have been a great support along this journey, and you, our members, our greatest asset, for your faith in the IBD. We look forward to a brighter future together as we work through the chartership to maximise benefits for our members and industry, raising the bar at every step.”

https://www.ibd.org.uk

The Institute of Brewing & Distilling Launches its First Course for Distillers

The Spirit Sensory Analysis on-demand course enables distillers to understand spirit flavour and implement an effective system of sensory analysis.

The Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD), which is the world's most widely recognised learning provider of technical education in the brewing industry, has launched a totally brand new technical self-assessed and on demand technical course, Spirit Sensory Analysis.

This new short course is the first continuing professional development course for distillers from the IBD. Spirit Sensory Analysis is aimed at distillers and quality professionals who are working in distilleries of all sizes, who are desiring  to improve product quality using sensory analysis.

The Spirit Sensory Analysis course provides the knowledge and tools necessary to understand and control spirit flavour. It will enable learners to run a range of sensory tests, assess the results and ultimately improve their production process and products. The course is provided in an engaging, interactive and multimedia format.

This course has been created and developed in collaboration with leading sensory scientists and distilling professionals. It provides the same technical excellence found in all IBD qualifications, with the benefit of not requiring to sit a formal exam.

The course includes a downloadable PDF with technical information such as:

The basis of spirit flavour

The descriptors and thresholds of over 300 key flavour compounds

Spirit flavour terminology systems and flavour wheels

Tasting forms for more than 10 sensory tests

The statistical tables, equations and calculations to interpret test results

The course features text, videos, animations, quizzes, and games to help enhance learning. At the end of the course, learners receive a Certificate of Completion.

Stuart Howe, who is the IBD Technical Learning and Development Manager, explains: “Whatever the size of your distillery, this course should help you better understand spirit flavour and get the best value from your sensory endeavours. 

"It may also save you spending money on the services of companies providing sensory management systems and training. We are confident that not only will you enjoy the course, but it will also benefit your career, your distillery, your products, your consumers and your sales volumes!”

Tom Shelston, IBD Chief Executive Officer, comments: “The Spirit Sensory Analysis Course is our 5th short course within a year, showing the IBD commitment to establishing a richer continuous professional development pathway in the drinks industry. This new short course shows our commitment to reinforce our learning offering for the spirits sector as this is our first on-demand technical course for distillers."

https://www.ibd.org.uk