2019 Craft Brewers Conference

Peter Bouckaert
Chief Wisdom and Other Nonsense
Purpose Brewing and Cellars


Peter Bouckaert works for a small brewery in Colorado called Purpose Brewing and Cellars. Before entering the world of beer, he studied in Gent, Belgium for a degree in Biochemical Engineering, with a specialization in Brewing and Fermentation technology. He began his brewing career as a Brewmaster at Rodenbach in Belgium, with stints at other breweries in the region such as Zulte and De Gouden Boom. Before moving to Colorado to work at New Belgium Brewing Co., he started the De Zwingel brewpub with his wife Frezi and their friend Franne. At the end of 2017, Peter left New Belgium to focus on Purpose Brewing and Cellars, and also start his own consulting company. Peter is proud to say that he was awarded the 2013 Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing and has earned the recognition of mid-size brewery of the year twice. Today, he is a Six Sigma Black Belt, works with the American Malting Barley Association to release craft barley varieties, teaches cooperage classes, received best presentation of the National MBAA conference in 2011 for his talk on "fermentation variation reduction," has presented his own TED talk, and is currently writing a book on "Wood and Beer" with Dick Cantwell. Peter says that what makes him the most happy in life is to be busy with beer, in a craft brewers community that is fun and engaging, creating positive change one a beer at a time.

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