On September 22, The Brewers Journal launched their fall lecture series; a 3-day virtual event focused on current challenges and future opportunities in the brewing industry. The event builds on a commitment that began in 2014 to hold educational and networking forums for brewers throughout North American and Europe.

The Brewers Lectures Fall 2021 sessions attracted more than 400 participants, bringing total attendance across the Spring and Fall events to more than 800 people from 20 countries. The FlavorSum team sponsored and participated in the conference, where more than 30 speakers addressed various topics dealing with brewing culture, technology, marketing, and innovation. Here are a few highlights from the event.

September 9^th marked the start of the 38^th annual Craft Brewers Conference. More than 7,000 brewers, suppliers, distributors, and solutions providers, including FlavorSum, gathered to share ideas about connecting with customers through the quality and authenticity of craft brews.

The FlavorSum team also attended the BrewExpo America tradeshow, where nearly 600 exhibitors showcased tools, technology, and ingredients to support 10,000 North American craft brewers. Here are a few highlights from the 4-day event.

Vanilla’s association with ‘basic’ or ‘plain’ is undeserved. Most of us have memories that include the uniquely sweet, rich taste of vanilla - going for an extra scoop of vanilla ice cream on a summer day or heading to the pantry to get vanilla extract so Grandma could bake her famous cheesecake. And the history of vanilla is as complex as its flavor. Originally discovered off the coast of Africa in 1793, vanilla cultivation started on the Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, and Reunion Islands, known today as the Bourbon Islands.

Fast forward to the 21^st century, and the global vanilla market surpassed USD 2.7 billion in 2020. Demand for vanilla is forecast to continue growing with a CAGR of 5.64% from 2021-2026. Vanilla is a leading flavor featured across categories. For example, producers make approximately 425 million gallons of vanilla ice cream annually in the U.S., representing 28% of the total ice cream produced each year!

The love for vanilla makes it a popular flavor and critical ingredient in many applications, from decadent desserts to delicious baked goods. Consumers searching for natural ingredients turn to vanilla because it fits their conscious lifestyles.

The time-intensive process of producing enough vanilla extract to meet the demand for this flavor led to the innovation of alternatives that we consume and use daily. Each vanilla flavor and extract option has nuances and complexities worth exploring to bring out the very best in food and beverage applications.