Convention Education
Browse the convention catalog below; click on a title to view or purchase access to the course. Convention attendees are granted lifetime access to recordings for the convention(s) they attended. If you attended our convention, you may access the content by logging in with the same email address you used to register for the convention. Courses can also be purchased individually if you did not attend. All purchased content can be viewed in your video library.

2020 Virtual Convention Presentations

2019 Convention Presentations
Quick Links: General Sessions | Technical | Advanced Technical | Business Essentials | Sales and Marketing | Legal and Compliance
General Sessions
Technical
Advanced Technical
Business Essentials
Sales and Marketing
Legal and Compliance

2018 Convention Presentations
Quick Links: General Sessions | Technical | Business Essentials | Sales and Marketing
General Sessions
Technical
Business Essentials
Sales and Marketing

2017 Convention Presentations
General Sessions
Track 1 - Technical and Distilling
Track 2 - Safety, Compliance, and Growth
Track 3 - Marketing and Finance

2016 Convention Presentations
Quick Links: General Sessions | Technical | Business | Sales and Marketing
General Sessions
Technical
Business
Sales and Marketing
- Tracy McNeil, ALFD Quality Assurance Office, TTB — Overview of Distilled Spirits Labeling Requirements
- Hoby Wedler, Co-Founder, Senspoint; Maggie Campbell, President & Head Distiller, Privateer Rum; and Jody Tucker, Co-Founder, Senspoint — The Art of Awareness: How Being More Aware Creates Inclusivity and Accessibility in Your Distillery
- Jared Himstedt, Head Distiller, Balcones Distilling; Steve Hawley, Global Marketing Director, Westland Distillery; Matt Hofmann, Co-Founder, Managing Director, Westland Distillery; and Murphy Quint, Head Distiller, Director of Operations, Cedar Ridge Distillery — American Single Malt Whiskey Panel
- Heather Greene CEO, Partner, Master Blender Milam & Greene Whiskey — Pivoting in a Time of Crisis
- Jason Parker Co-Owner/President Copperworks Distilling Company — How Barrels Work
- Andrea Meriwether, CEO, BarFare Concepts; Rhonda Malone Cammon, Founder and CEO, Perfectly Cordial; and Britt Whidden, Owner, Gimme Some Distribution & Lawhorn's Signature Seasonings — Gimme Some Goods & Services: Spirited Supplier Diversity
- Gary Spedding, Owner, Brewing & Distilling Analytical Services — Biases in Sensory Evaluations
- Jeff Wuslich, Co-Founder, Cardinal Spirits — Love in the Time of COVID, or How We Dealt With Two Positive Cases at Our Distillery and Tasting Room and Learned to Love Quarantine
- Andrew Fratianni, Senior Application Specialist, Distilling & Brewing Enzymes, DuPont — Get the Most From Your Grain: Key Points for the Conversion of Starch
- Tom Mooney, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Westward Whiskey; and Kelly Woodcock, Vice President, Consumer Experience, Westward Whiskey — How to Develop a Direct-to-Consumer Program
- Mark Shilling, Founder/CEO, ShillingCrafted — Hand Sanitizer Production for Distilleries
- Lee Katrincic, Head Distiller, Durham Distillery’s — Lessons Learned From Creating RTDs
- Emily Pennington, Content Manager/Client Development, Park Street — Changing Consumer Trends and How Alcohol Companies Are Adapting to Meet Them
- Colleen Moore, VP of Marketing, Dalkita — Retrofitting
- Doug Kouma Visitor Experience Director Vikre Distillery — Cocktail Kits to Go: Fresh, Fast & Fun
- Corianna Schewel Director of Client Success Obviously — Navigating the Digital Landscape
- Gary Yurt President/Founder Industrial Safety and Training Services (ISTS) — Developing a Strategy to Operate your Distillery Safely
- Noah Rothbaum (Daily Beast Half Full), Ryan Malkin (Malkin Law), Christian Krogstad (House Spirits), Meredith Meyer-Grelli (Wigle) — Taking the Tasting Room out of the Distillery
- Mark Shilling (Shillingcrafted), Josh Mabrey (Uncle Billy's Spirits) — Developing a Ready-To-Drink Product
- Bob Brown (Sales Systems Development) — How to Build a Productive Sales Team
- Anthony Bagnulo, Martin Duffy (Glencairn) — Spirits Brand Ambassadors: What Can They Do For You?
- Heather Greene — Stealing From The Big Boys (and Girls): Build a Killer Strategic Marketing Campaign Using Tips and Tricks Nicked from Million-Dollar Brands
- Alexandra Clough (Gather PR) — Working with the Media
- Christine LoCascio (DISCUS), Bryan Alvey (also of KDA), Angela Hofmann (Farmers for Free Trade) — Panel Presentation on Trade Policy
- Corey Day (Murphy, Campbell, Alliston and Quinn) — Labor Law for Your Labor of Love: An overview of Labor and Employment Law
- Gary Yurt (Industrial Safety and Training Services) — What to Expect During an OSHA Inspection
- Harry Kohlmann (Park Street) — Craft Spirits Data Project
- Donald Seitz and Justin Yates (Cincinnati Insurance Company) — Insuring Safe Distilled Spirits Production – Key Process Controls That Impact DSP Insurance Availability and Pricing
- Karen Hoskin (Montanya Distillers), Jennifer Evans (Constellation Brands), Mel Heim (Eastside Distilling), Maggie Campbell (Privateer Rum) — Is Gender Diversity Important at your Craft Distillery?
- Andrew Beebe (Arlington Capital Advisors), Dan Gasper, Emily Pennington (Wine & Spirits Daily), JB Shireman (consultant) — How to Compete in a Global Craft Beverage Market
- Brian DeFoe (Lane Powell) — Even if You’re Not Planning to Sell…
- Ryan Malkin (Malkin Law), Nick Papanicolaou (Pernod Ricard USA), Paul Hletko (FEW Spirits), Thomas Mooney (House Spirits), Townsend Ziebold (Cascadia Capital) — Advanced Acquisitions
- Kevin O'Brien (Zepponi & Company), Renato Reyes (Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits) — Spirits Industry Year in Review
- Donald Snyder (Whiskey Systems) — How to Conduct Your own Audit
- Anna Nadasdy (MBM Group) — Strategic Lessons From the Craft Beer Industry
- Harry Kohlmann (Park Street), Paul Hletko (FEW Spirits), Dan Garrison (Garrison Bros.), Tom Mooney (House Spirits) — How to Build a Sustainable Craft Spirits Business for the Long Haul
- Jason Parker (Copperworks Distilling) — Single Farm, Single Variety, Single Vintage Malts for Spirit Production
- Stephanie and Felicia Ohnmacht (Whiskey Sisters Supply), Aaron MacLeod (Hartwick College), Rob Masters (The Family Jones), Gary Spedding (BDAS LLC) — Farmer in the Still
- Kurt Rosentrater (Distillers Grain Technology Council) — Spent Distillers Grains: Nuisance or Value Proposition?
- Maria Peterson (Scott Labs) — Maintaining Healthy Fermentations and How to Deal With High Alcohol Fermentations in Distilling
- Joe Roberts (Avila University) — The Effects of Gin Preparation on Final Sugar Content
- Scott Moore (Dalkita) — Let’s Get Tanked!
- Philip Gennette (BDAS LLC) — Proof from the Lab: Distillations, Obscuration, and their effects on Gas Chromatography
- Mike Swanson (Far North Spirits) — Sensory Analysis of Rye Varieties
- Dr. Patricia Aron (Rahr Malting Co.), Ilya Soroka (BSG), Seth Reid (11 Wells Spirits Co.) — Sensory Analysis and Tasting of Malt Whiskey Mash Distillations
- Cody Snyder (AB Biotek) — Yeast Innovation: Old World Meets New World
- Andrei Prida — The Extraction of Wood Compounds During Aging in Wood Barrels and in Contact with Wood Pieces
- Cozette Tran-Caffee — Important Considerations When Negotiating a Distillery Lease
- Todd Grover — Lockout Tagout Essentials
- Jessica Lukas — Cannabis Legalization: How Will It Impact Beverage Alcohol?
- Harry Kohlmann (Park Street) — Routes to Market in a Consolidated Distributor Landscape
- Ed Gorman (Aires Consulting) — Process Management: Does it Really Apply?
- Kevin O'Brien (Zepponi & Company), Joe Heron (Copper & Kings) — Preparing for a Sale or Strategic Investment: Practical Tips and Best Practices
- John Fisher (Fisher & Company, LLC), Jeff Clark (Live Oak Bank) — KISS: Simple Rules for Bank Funding & Building Brand Value for Investment
- Brian DeFoe (Lane Powell) — Funding Your Business Without Going to Jail: Securities Compliance for the Small Distillery
- Donald Snyder and Jack Sigan (Whiskey Resources) — Business Intelligence: Maximizing the Value of Your Data
- Ryan Malkin (Malkin Law), Dan Garrison (Garrison Brothers), Paul Hletko (FEW Spirits), Tom Mooney (House Spirits), Nick Papanicolaou (Pernod Ricard USA) — Acquisitions Basics
- Binod Maitin (FlavorActiV) — Understanding Aroma and Flavors and Optimizing Sensory Quality of Spirit Beverages
- Fawn Weaver (Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey), Margie Lehrman (ACSA), Mark Shilling (Treaty Oak Brewing and Distilling Co.), Nicole Austin (Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.), Tom Mooney (House Spirits), Paul Hletko (FEW Spirits), Jim Hyland (Pennsylvania Avenue Group), Ted Huber (Starlight Distillery) — Town Hall Session
- Maria Peterson (Scott Laboratories) — Separation Anxiety: Observational Insights to Understanding Filtration
- John McKee (Headframe Spirits), Bryan Jennings and Randy Hudson (Triple Eight Distillery) — Comparative Distillations for Small and Large Micro-Distilleries
- Colin Johnston (Crisp Malting Group LTD) — Tradition and Innovation in Distilling Malts: a UK Perspective
- Gary Spedding (BDAS LLC) — Distillers’ Aim to Achieve Rapid Maturation of Spirits: 80 Years & Counting…Why We Might Not Get There
- James Ludford-Brooks (Briggs of Burton plc) — Full of Spirit: Designing and Engineering Craft Distilleries Capable of Producing Multiple Spirit Types All Under One Roof
- Ryan Hollister (Haskell) — Distillery in a Box: The Future of Distillery Equipment
- Harry Kohlmann (Park Street), Adam Rogers (IWSR) — Craft Spirits Data Project
- Devin Mills (Dalkita) — (Another one Fights the) Dust: a.k.a. Identiying and Managing Combustible Dust Hazards in Your Distillery
- Alexandra S. Clough (Gather PR) — Working with the Media: How to Build Meaningful Relationships with the Media to Grow Your Spirits Brand
- Brandy Rand (IWSR) — The Changing Beverage Alcohol Landscape: Key Trends and Consumption Drivers
- Kate Cardinali (Innovate Media + Design), Brian Christensen (Artisan Spirit Magazine), Martin Duffy (Glencairn) — Leveraging Media Properly to Market Your Brand
- Karen Barnes (Wine Direct Marketing) — eCommerce: Not Just for Consumers Anymore
- Scott Winters (American Spirits Exchange Limited) — Control States or How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Regulations
- Robin Robinson (Robin Robinson LLC), Gonzalo de la Pezuela (Distill Ventures), Angie Fleitz (Solid Light), Mary Kate Lo Conte (Merz Branding) — The Story Sells the Spirit: How Narratives Affect Sales
- Kelly Nielsen (Nielsen). Raul Paredes (O-I), Steve Pelkey (Universal Packaging Inc.), Francisco Siller (MCC Label) — Panel Discussion on Packaging
- Emily Pennington (Wine & Spirits Daily), Meredith Grelli (Wigle Whiskey), Robert Likarish (Ironroot Republic), Hannah Lowen (New Riff Distilling) — How to Maximize Your Tasting Room Experience
- Susan Mooney and Matthew Baris (Spirits Consulting Group) — A Blended Approach to an Impactful Marketing Strategy
- Harry Kohlmann, Ph.D., CEO, Park Street; Adam Rogers, Head of Special Projects, The International Wine and Spirits Research — Quantifying the Impact of the American Craft Spirits Industry
- Nicole Austin, ACSA Guild Committee Chair, Kings County Distilling — State Distillery Guilds & Associations Annual Roundtable
- Dan Christopherson, Trademark & Compliance Attorney, Lehrman Beverage Law, PLLC; John Messinger, Alcohol Beverage Compliance Attorney, Lehrman Beverage Law, PLLC — Labeling and Trademarks: The Not-So-Obvious Considerations with Spirits Labels
- Tom Steffanci, Deustch Family Wine & Spirits; Dave Schmeir, Indie Spirits Expo and Co-founder Redemption Rye — Craft Spirits Acquisitions, Exit Strategies, and Mergers
- Thomas Mooney, President, ACSA, Moderator; Craig Wolf, President & CEO, WSWA; John Bodnovich, Executive Director, ABL; James Sgueo, President & CEO, NABCA; Brett Pontoni, Specialty Spirits Buyer, Binny’s Beverage Depot — Spirits Industry Update: What’s Up Ahead for the 3-Tier System?
- Dave Scheuman, CF Napa — Game Changer: Emerging Trends and How Millennials are Changing the Game for Craft Spirits Branding
- Dan Gasper, Distill Ventures — How to Create Brilliant Brands
- Scott & Colleen Moore, Dalkita Architecture and Construction — Code Breaking Barrels: Revealing the mysteries of Barrel Storage in Building and Fire Codes
- Kevin S. Getz, Target Markets Manager – Craft Beverage, Cincinnati Insurance, John McGree, Senior Vice President, Payne West Insurance, Mike Delaney, State Agent, Cincinnati Insurance, Mike Sherman, Vendome Copper & Brassworks — Pressure: Lessons Learned – Keeping Your Employees, Equipment, Spirits & Business Safe
- Eli Aguilera, Vice President, Spirits, Total Wine & More — Keynote Address
- Tom Mooney, ACSA Board of Directors President, Co-owner, House Spirits Margie A.S. Lehrman, ACSA Executive Director — Convention Opening General Session
- ACSA Board of Directors and James E. Hyland, ACSA Lobbyist, The Pennsylvania Avenue Group — Town Hall Meeting
- Liz Rhoades (Diageo) — Fermentation and Flavor Generation
- John McKee (Headframe Spirits), Colleen Moore (Dalkita Architecture and Construction), Lance Simons (Haskell), Ryan Quinlan (Bently Heritage) and Jason Lippa (FIVE X 5 Solutions) — FREE Safety Webinar: Roundtable Talk and Q+A on Workplace Safety
- Corey Day - Murphy, Campbell, Alliston and Quinn — The Letter – and the Spirit – of the Law for Distillery Websites and Social Media
- Cynthia Sterling, Sterling Creativeworks — The New Tastemakers: How To Use Sensory Perception To Increase Brand Enjoyment
- Cheryl Durzy, LibDib — Tips for Successful Distribution Among Rapid Changes and Consolidation in the Three Tier System
- Daniel Hayes, Aaron Wais and Blake Barron, MSK — Ripple Effects
- Maria Pearman, Radix Accounting — 5 Key Performance Indicators for Distillers
- Jake Holshue, Rogue Ales & Spirits — Quercus Garryana: Oregon Oak’s Effect on Whiskey Maturation
- Ryan Malkin, Malkin Law, and Nick Papanicolaou, Pernod Ricard USA — All About Acquisitions
- Robin Robinson, Robin Robinson LLC — Build a Better Brand Ambassador
- Pat Heist, Ferm Solutions — Expert Process Training (Fermentation & Distillation)
- Mark Dreux, Arent Fox — OSHA Citation Patterns for Safety and Health Auditing and the Dos and Don’ts of Report Writing
- John McKee, Headframe Spirits — Batch and Continuous Stills: The Science and the Cashflow
- Brandy Rand, IWSR — Global and US Trends in Beverage Alcohol: 6 Key Drivers
- Don Snyder, Whiskey Systems — File Incorrect TTB Reports? What To Do Next!
- Karen Barnes, Wine Direct Marketing — Using Your Online Presence to Build Your Brand
- Paul Hletko, Margie Lehrman, 2017 Board Nominees — The Last Call Reception
- Jeff Clark and John Fisher — Banking and Finance to Create Value
- Baji Gobburi — Sustainable Wastewater Treatment for Craft Spirits Producers
- Howard A. Mavity — 2017: A Reset for Safety, Labor and Employment Law?
- Steve Lamoureux, and Danelle Kosmal — Crafting Great Package Design – Best Practices for Winning with Consumers
- Michael Scanzello — Grind Profiles and Spirit Yield
- Jacob Call — Taking a Bourbon Distillery to the Next Level
- Alexandra Sklansky — Working With The Media: How to Build Meaningful Relationships with the Media to Grow Your Spirits Brands
- Alexander Grelli and Meredith Meyer-Grelli — Do Spirits Actually Have Terroir? Testing Taste of Place in American Rye Whiskey
- Kara Taylor — Fermentation for Distillers
- Wayne Curtis, Maggie Campbell, Scott Blackwell, and Christian Krogstad — Directing Your Second Act
- Anthony White — Project Delivery Models for New or Expanding Distilleries
- Danielle Viguerie Coco and Paul Flint — Focus on Exports – Where/How to Move Product
- Richard Baduini — Craft Distillery Logistics
- Dan Garrison, Colin Keegan, Adam Spiegal, and Cassandra Sunell — The Craft Spirits Distribution Problem (And Ways We Might Solve It)
- Harry Kohlmann — EU Route-to-Market Strategies for US Craft Distillers
- Colin Blake and David Dafoe — Best Practices for Sensory
- ACSA Members and Supporters — Town Hall Meeting
- Ken Grossman, Co-Founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. — ACSA Keynote Address
- Harry Kohlmann and Adam Rogers, IWSR — Craft Spirits Data Analysis Project
- Susan Evans and Chris Thiemann — Labels and Taxes and Bonds – Oh My! It’s Recent and Relevant to TTB
- Eduardo Sousa — Cork Closures and the Future
- Susan Mooney and Matt Baries — The Perfect Ingredient for Balanced Marketing
- Andrew Wiehebrink — Chemical & Sensory Analysis of Oak-Related Finishing Techniques
- Courtney McKee — You Can Only Run Out of Money Once
- Daniel Christopherson and John Messinger — Next Level Compliance: Legal Growth in a Sea of Red Tape
- Gonzalo de la Pezuela and Chip Tate — Winning The Pitch
- David Jackson, Jim Sgueo, John Shiffer, and Louis Zweig — Unique Considerations When Entering a Control-State Marketplace
- Gary Spedding, Ph.d — More Continuous Chemistry: What Has My Making Toast Got To Do with My Favorite Pour?
- Paul Hughes, Ph.d — Using Science and Technology to Manage Processes and Products
- Colleen Moore and Scott Moore — The Electrical Sombrero of Death
- Cameron Taylor, American Society for Asset Protection — Covering Your Assets: Avoid Lawsuits and Reduce Taxes
- George Manska, Arsilica/ The NEAT Glass — Diagnosing Spirits Quality: The Importance of Glassware
- Dan Gasper from Distill Ventures — Go Deep, Not Broad
- Gary Spedding and Amber Weygandy, Brewing & Distilling Analytical Services — Continuous Chemistry: Understanding the Interaction of Compounds at Each Step of Spirits Production
- Colleen Moore and Matt Rennert, Dalkita — Static Electricity in Distilleries: What is it, Who Regulates it, How to Control it
- Maggie Campbell, Privateer Rum — Deductive and Technical Tasting for the Distiller
- Courtney Page, Hellmamn & Associates — Simplifying the Complexity of OSHA Requirements for Craft Spirits Producers
- Payne West Loss Control — Basic Safety Programming