Centuries ago, women brewsters would don their long, pointed hats, hang their broomsticks above their door to signal business was open, and get to work brewing in their large cauldrons. The visual should conjure up the image of a classic witch, complete with a cat to case away mice and vermin from the brewing ingredients. While modern brewsters have ditched the broomsticks and cauldrons, the term “witch” carries on to become a positive affirmation with the organization Witch Hunt in Minneapolis.

Last week, Brew Your Own (BYO) held its first ever NanoCon, a two-day conference dedicated to education about small-scale craft breweries. The event was held in Burlington, VT, and included attendees that ranged between local small-scale craft breweries, suppliers, and those planning their nano-brewery. Attendees participated in over 30 seminars, as well as workshops, exhibitor tables, roundtable discussions, and events. Four learning tracks geared towards various small-scale brewery elements were available for attendees to learn more about some of the best practices to run their brewery on. These learning tracks included Brewery Operations, Start-Ups, Business Operations, and Sales & Marketing.