The 2025 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) brought together some of the most passionate and innovative minds in the industry, and the quality of connections, education, and conversations made it one of the most valuable events of the year for the Oregon Fruit Fermentation team and the craft brewing world at large.
A Shift in Attendance and Focus
This year’s conference, held in Indianapolis, was a bit smaller in attendance, but we enjoyed longer, more meaningful interactions with everyone. Attendees were focused, intentional, and ready to talk shop. Our team experienced high-quality conversations that went deeper than the usual handshake and sample swap.
Fruit Wins Big at the World Beer Cup
We’re thrilled to celebrate our customers’ success on the competition floor. Several customers took home medals across several categories. In fact, one of the sour beer categories was swept by Oregon Fruit customers, a testament to the creativity and quality bubbling across the industry. Congratulations to all the 2025 World Beer Cup Winners!
Innovation on Display
Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking were front and center at booths like Abstrax's, who showcased terpene hops and flavor-altering products. Their message: innovation is about more than malt, hops, and yeast—it’s about keeping flavor fresh and relevant. We couldn't agree more! And fruit continues to be a primary driver of that innovation, both in fermentables and front-of-house applications.
Taproom Trends and Seasonal Standouts
A growing theme at CBC was taproom activation. Breweries are doubling down on the tasting room experience, using it as a space to test new concepts and offer more frequent, flavorful discoveries to loyal fans.
At our booth, our slushy machine and shelf-stable Pourable Fruits sparked a lot of interest with their taproom applications. Seasonal purees sparked the most excitement, especially Calamansi and Prickly Pear. There was also a lot of interest in winter ingredients like Dark Sweet Cherry.
Across the board, we heard a lot of “Aha!” moments—people who didn’t fully realize just how clean, creative, and easy our products are to use.
Industry Challenges and Hot Topics
The industry is facing some headwinds, particularly for legacy brands. Many are experimenting with hard ciders, RTDs, and fruit concentrates to stay competitive. For the first time, the World Beer Cup added three new cider categories—signaling a shift that mirrors what we’re seeing from our own customer base.
Questions around concentrates, shelf stability, and how to use fruit in seltzers and RTDs were front and center at our booth, confirming that these formats are here to stay.
Evening Highlights and the Indy Scene
While we didn’t make it to seminars or panels this year, the evening events were exceptional. Country Malt Group's 30th anniversary party was one of the busiest and most talked-about events of the week. GEA hosted an impressive gathering at Sun King Brewery - complete with games, a barrel room tour, and 40 Indiana beers on tap.
We also had the chance to explore a few standouts from Indy’s underrated beer scene. Taxman Brewing impressed with its Belgian-inspired offerings (including several with fruit!), and we had a great time connecting with our partners at the Guggman Haus-hosted CMG party.
Wrapping Up
All in all, the Oregon Fruit team felt CBC 2025 delivered where it mattered most: meaningful conversations, inspiring innovations, and a renewed sense of where fruit fits into the evolving landscape of craft brewing.
We hope to see you next year!
