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 programs for the global beverage industry, recently announced a joint congress in 2026. Established in 1886, CIBD has headquarters 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 organizations 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.” says Professor Katherine Smart, ASBC President.
Both ASBC and CIBD will offer sessions to increase attendee technical acumen and skills in brewing, fermentation and distilling.
Raphael Grisoni, President of the CIBD, states “This exciting partnership brings together two of the world’s leading organizations in brewing and distilling. Our combined reach will ensure that 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.
