In 1994, the British Guild of Beer Writers hosted a pivotal conference in London focused on the history, renaissance, and future of the India Pale Ale. Award winning author Pete Brown joins beer legend Garrett Oliver, one of the original conference speakers for a discussion that revisits the event. Pete and Garrett share insights learned on the day, the ramifications they had on British brewing, and how IPA has evolved 30 years after this seminal conference.

Pete Brown is a British author, journalist, broadcaster and consultant specialising in food and drink. Across twelve books, his broad, fresh approach takes in social history, cultural commentary, travel writing, personal discovery and natural history, and his words are always delivered with the warmth and wit you’d expect from a great night down the pub. He writes for newspapers and magazines around the world, and is a regular contributor to radio and podcasts. He was named British Beer Writer of the Year in 2009, 2012, 2016 and 2021. His third book - Hops & Glory - saw him physically recreate the journey of India Pale Ale from Burton-on-Trent to Kolkata.

Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery, the author of The Brewmaster’s Table, and the Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Companion to Beer. He has been brewing craft beer (including IPA) since 1989 and is a veteran of over 1000 beer dinners and tastings in 16 countries. An original board member of Slow Food USA, he later went on to become a Councilor of Slow Food International. Over the years, he sat panels at the GBBF seven times, helping choose Champion Beer of Britain.  In 2014 Garrett was the recipient of the James Beard Award as the country's top drinks professional.  In 2020 he founded the Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling (MJF), a 501(c)(3) grant-making non-profit organization that funds scholarships for technical education in the brewing and distilling fields for people of color. In 2022, Garrett was "enthroned" by the Knights of The Brewer's Fork of Belgium, descendants of the medieval brewer's guild. 

THIS SESSION IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

RYAN DANIELS