With more than 4,500 attendees from 35 countries, the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America, hosted by the Brewers Association, Boulder, Colo., May 2-5 in San Diego, was a testament to the growth in the industry. Setting the tone for the event, Brewers Association President Charlie Papazian addressed any doubts about the industry’s potential, saying, “We are not in a bubble, we are knee-deep in foam — and the foam is still rising.”

In 2012, the total U.S. beer market grew by 1 percent; however, craft beer grew 15 percent in volume and 17 percent in dollar sales, representing a total barrel increase of nearly 1.8 million, according to preliminary data from the Brewers Association, Boulder, Colo.

Just as craft beer continues to expand, the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) & BrewExpo America has grown. Organized by the Brewers Association (BA), a non-profit trade organization based in Boulder, Colo., the CBC attracted 6,400 brewing professionals and approximately 440 exhibitors from March 26 to 29, in Washington, D.C.