From August 17–19 2026, Malori Comer and Tom Vincent attended the American Society of Brewing Chemists Conference (ASBC) in Seattle, joining industry experts, researchers and beverage innovators to explore the science, technology and consumer trends shaping the future of brewing and distilling.
Across the conference, one clear message emerged: the beverage industry is evolving rapidly, and innovation is no longer limited to what happens in production. It now stretches from raw materials and microbial cultures through to authentication technologies, product development, consumer expectations and future workforce capabilities. For Curion, the conference reinforced a powerful opportunity: helping beverage brands understand not only what is technically possible, but what is meaningful, noticeable and valuable to consumers.
Non-alcoholic beverages are driving meaningful innovation
One of the most compelling themes from ASBC was the continued momentum behind non-alcoholic beverage development. The Fermentis-sponsored session on technological and microbial innovations in non-alcoholic beer explored advances in microbial culture selection, R&D learnings and the future potential of the category.
What stood out was the level of technical focus now being applied to non-alcoholic products. These beverages are no longer being treated simply as substitutes for traditional beer. Instead, producers are working to improve flavour, quality, style diversity and overall consumer acceptance.
This creates a strong link between technical product development and consumer insight. A formulation may perform well analytically, but success ultimately depends on whether consumers can perceive the improvement, whether they value it and whether it influences preference or purchase intent. For Curion, the non-alcoholic space represents a clear opportunity to help beverage clients connect product innovation with consumer experience.
Technology is strengthening traditional beverage testing
Another key takeaway was the growing role of technology in beverage testing and product authentication. The authenticity testing session explored approaches to identifying counterfeit or adulterated alcoholic beverages, comparing laboratory-based NMR testing with portable electrochemical fingerprinting technologies.
The contrast between detailed laboratory analysis and rapid, field-deployable tools was particularly interesting. It highlighted how beverage companies are increasingly using large datasets, reference databases and sophisticated analytics to better understand, verify and protect their products.
Although these applications differ from consumer and sensory research, the underlying trend is highly relevant. Technology is becoming a complement to traditional research approaches, helping companies collect richer, faster and more objective data. The opportunity for Curion is to continue positioning technology as something that can enhance sensory and consumer research, not replace it. The greatest value comes when objective product data is connected with human perception and consumer decision-making.
Raw materials and processing choices matter
The technical sessions on malt, grain science and product development reinforced the importance of upstream decisions in shaping the finished beverage. Presentations covered malt modification, raw-material-driven differences in purine levels and the impact of different rice formats on lager quality and shelf stability.
These sessions demonstrated how ingredient choices and processing methods can directly influence product composition, quality and stability. Even small technical differences can have meaningful effects on the finished product.
However, from a commercial perspective, the critical question is whether those differences are noticeable or relevant to consumers. This is where sensory and consumer research can add significant value. By connecting technical findings with sensory perception, preference and purchase behaviour, Curion can help clients understand which product differences truly matter in the marketplace.
Future capabilities will shape industry success
The CIBD panel on the future skills imperative focused on the capabilities the brewing and distilling industries will need in the years ahead. Representatives from Sierra Nevada, Boston Beer Company and Lallemand Brewing discussed skills gaps, lifelong learning, innovation and knowledge sharing.
The discussion reinforced that the industry is not only changing in terms of products and technologies, but also in the capabilities organisations need to stay competitive. Technical expertise remains essential, but companies also need adaptable teams, cross-functional collaboration and a willingness to embrace new approaches.
For Curion and its clients, this points to a broader strategic need: innovation must be supported by the right people, processes and insight capabilities. Businesses that can combine technical knowledge, consumer understanding and data-led decision-making will be better equipped to respond to changing market demands.
Consumer expectations are creating new opportunities
The conference also explored opportunities and challenges within the distilling industry. The CIBD panel on issues and opportunities in distilling, together with the keynote from Dr. Emma Walker of Johnnie Walker and Diageo, highlighted the need for brands to balance heritage, craft and technical expertise with innovation and evolving consumer expectations.
This theme is especially important in categories such as spirits, where tradition and storytelling remain powerful but consumers are also looking for new experiences, quality cues, authenticity and relevance. Brands must understand not only what they can develop technically, but what consumers actually want and value.
For beverage companies, this is where insight becomes essential. Consumer and sensory research can help brands identify which innovations are likely to resonate, how products should be positioned and which attributes matter most to target audiences.
Concluding summary
ASBC 2026 highlighted the continued convergence of science, technology and consumer experience across the beverage industry. Innovation is happening across the full value chain, from microbial cultures and raw materials to authentication tools, product formats and production methods. But the success of these innovations depends on how effectively they translate into the finished product experience.
For Curion, the key opportunity is clear. Sensory and consumer research can act as the bridge between technical innovation and consumer relevance. As beverage brands continue to evolve across alcoholic and non-alcoholic categories, they will need support in understanding not only what is changing in a product, but whether consumers notice it, value it and prefer it.