[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – Aquaculture is the fastest-growing segment in the feed industry. According to the 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey, the aquaculture industry experienced a 12 percent increase in feed production in 2016 to 39.9 million metric tons. Asia maintained its volume and accounts for approximately three-quarters of global production per Alltech’s 2016 Aquaculture Survey.

For many who are closely watching the aquaculture sector, this growth comes as no surprise. However, it presents a new set of challenges.

“‘The Fish to 2030: Prospects for Fisheries and Aquaculture’ report produced by the World Bank states that the projected growth in fed aquaculture over the 2000–2030 period, equivalent to an annual average growth rate of 3.9 percent per year, is much faster than the projected growth in fish oil use in aquaculture, which has an average annual growth rate of 1.7 percent,” said Dr. Keith Filer, project manager for aquaculture research at Alltech. “This is why Alltech is committed to providing a sustainable alternative to fish oil with our algae.”

Alltech has been improving aquaculture performance through nutrition for 13 years, but recent developments have significantly strengthened the company’s efforts:

• Acquired in 2010, Alltech’s algae plant in Kentucky, USA, is one of the largest commercial production sites in the world for algae. This traceable algae can provide a sustainable DHA omega-3 source as an alternative to fish oil. In December 2016, Alltech received registration from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for two of its algae products, ForPlus and All-G Rich™, and the company expects more regulatory bodies internationally to follow the CFIA’s decision.
• Coppens International, an innovative Dutch aquatic feed and nutrition company, was acquired in 2016. This acquisition has enabled both companies to benefit from each other’s expertise, including the use of Alltech’s sustainable algal DHA source, ForPlus, to replace fish oil. Coppens has gained compliance with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council within the last year and has introduced a new range of feeds incorporating Alltech’s sustainable alternatives to fish oil and inorganic trace minerals in order to provide availability of these nutrients for optimum fish health and performance. On the horizon for Coppens in 2017 is a $1 million renovation of the Coppens Research Centre, which will double its capacity while increasing the number of aqua species that can be included in this extensive research program.
• Alltech has partnered with several universities and a research institute through formal research alliances to demonstrate the impact of Alltech’s algae solutions in a variety of species:
• Alltech-Kochi University Research Alliance (Japan) in Japanese yellowtail
• Alltech-Ocean University of China Research Alliance (China) in turbot and shrimp
• Alltech-Federal University of Santa Catarina Research Alliance (Brazil) in tilapia
• Alltech-Kentucky State University (U.S.) Research Alliance in largemouth bass and shrimp
• Alltech-Nofima (Norway) Research Alliance in Atlantic salmon

Filer noted that the research alliances’ findings to date “have observed that All-G Rich could replace fish oil in the diets of marine, freshwater and salmonid species while maintaining performance as well as DHA levels in the fillet.”

“What if we had a sustainable DHA source that was traceable and provided health benefits to fish?” said Dr. Jorge Arias, Alltech’s global director for aquaculture. “We believe we have a real solution in our algae that will reduce reliance on fish oil while increasing the amount of DHA available to farmed fish and, ultimately, to consumers.”

Visit Alltech’s team at Booth 721 at Aquaculture America, held Feb. 19–22, 2017, in San Antonio, Texas, to discuss how Alltech’s aquaculture nutrition technologies, including algae products, improve performance and profitability. Alltech will host Kentucky Ale® Happy Hours at Booth 721 on Monday, Feb. 20 from 4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m., and on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 5 p.m.–6 p.m.

Additionally, Dr. Aoife Lyons, director of educational initiatives and engagement for Alltech, will be a plenary speaker at Aquaculture America, where she will share how communication is essential to “Forging New Frontiers” in aquaculture.

For more information on Alltech’s sustainable solutions for aquaculture, visit Alltech.com/aquaculture. To stay up to date with Alltech at Aquaculture America, visit http://go.alltech.com/aquaculture-america.

[ATLANTA] – Dr. Mark Lyons, global vice president and head of Greater China for Alltech, presented “Understanding China: How the second-largest poultry market is changing the world,” addressing the Alltech ACE principle of developing solutions that are safe for the Animal, Consumer and Environment, to an audience of 250 people during the Alltech Annual Breakfast Meeting at the International Production & Processing Expo.

There has been a great urban shift of 300 million people within the economic power player, resulting in 188 cities in China larger than Chicago. Additionally, China has a rising middle class that is young, urban and globally minded.

“China is different and is not for the faint-hearted,” said Lyons. “They rapidly change and want transparency, and if you’re going to do business in China, then you need to be there, and you need to commit to being Chinese.”

China is going through a period of transition in many areas, including agriculture. Its industry has been very fragmented, but it is evolving toward more integration and segmentation. Results from the 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey showed that China continues to be the largest feed-producing country but is producing that feed with fewer and fewer mills. The consolidation has been vast, with a report this year of a nearly 30 percent decline in the country’s number of feed mills.

China is home to 20 percent of the world’s 60 billion poultry birds, including 8.8 billion broilers, 1.2 billion layers/breeders and 4 billion waterfowl. Currently, China produces 26 percent of the world’s poultry meat, and studies show that both consumption and production of poultry will continue to increase in China, and worldwide, over the next 10 years. China is also the world leader in egg production, producing almost six times more than the United States, which is in second place.

Trends in China

• Poultry and egg industry moving toward integration
• Consumer awareness of environmental pollution growing and creating pressure at the farm level
• Antibiotic-free is a growing trend as testing and legislation increase
• Pressure from the cost of feed materials
• Desire for high-quality poultry products

Challenges

• High feed costs; up to two times the cost of international prices
• Flat consumption, as chicken meat is considered an inferior protein to pork, seafood and beef
• Falling exports, as China’s competitiveness is decreasing against Brazil and Thailand to its top export market, Japan
• Disease challenges, with avian influenza outbreaks as a constant reminder to consumers, which harms the image of poultry meat

“We have been talking about the power of the new consumer, which we are calling the prosumer,” said Lyons. “I believe there are more prosumers in China than any other market in the world today.”

Rather than simply consuming products, these prosumers are proactively exhibiting their beliefs, ethics, standards and aspirations through their purchases. Prosumers are product and brand advocates who now significantly affect the success or failure of companies, products and brands through their involvement on social media outlets, and food producers and farmers need to pay attention to their demands.

As consumer awareness of environmental pollution has grown, it has created pressure at the farm level. The Chinese government has put a focus on livestock pollution control regulations, new environmental laws, animal husbandry laws, standardized scale farming, water regulations and animal disease control laws.

Alltech China is hosting an environmental meeting from March 7–9. The event will focus on overcoming environmental challenges and finding opportunities in the new green economy. For more information or to attend the meeting, contact Apple Zhang, marketing manager for Alltech China (azhang@alltech.com).

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – One idea, from one person, can disrupt the status quo to create opportunity — or challenges — for many. Will agriculture be a positive disrupter, creating opportunity? Or will the industry be caught playing defense to disruption?

ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17) will inspire farmers, ranchers, producers, suppliers and influencers in every species and segment across production agriculture to create disruption and be prepared to harness its potential — or risk being rendered irrelevant.

ONE17 will be held May 21–24 in Lexington, Kentucky, and promises to be an experience jam-packed with ideas, innovations and solutions for the agriculture industry. The annual international conference, now in its 34th year, draws more than 3,000 attendees from over 70 countries.

“Our goal is to help our partners in agriculture put their ideas into action,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech’s founder and president. “If you want to activate your vision, gain a more global perspective and connect with the most innovative minds in agriculture, ONE17 is the only place to be.”

With topics covering the growing global economy, disruptive consumer trends and the constant stream of new technologies, ONE17 will set the stage for forward-thinking discussions about the future of food production.

General sessions with headline keynote speakers will inspire business solutions and innovation, while subject- and species-specific focus sessions will give producers a chance to learn and participate in discussions relevant to their respective fields. Breakouts on crop science, beef, dairy, swine, poultry and aquaculture — as well as topical sessions on finance, food issues and emerging markets — provide an opportunity for every corner of production agriculture to engage disruption at the ONE17 conference.

“ONE is meant to encourage, empower and, most importantly, challenge us,” said Dr. Lyons. “We want individuals to leave feeling like they were part of a life-changing development for the industry and feel empowered to implement solutions back home.”

As Kentucky Living magazine said of ONE16, “You leave believing anything is possible, that with commitment, teamwork, leadership and vision, your one idea can change the world.”

For more information on ONE17, and to register for the conference, visit: one.alltech.com. Join the conversation on Twitter by using #ONE17.

View the promotional video for ONE17: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRdoYgkcm5c

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – Farmers have a rich history of adapting to changing landscapes and innovating to nourish the world. While dealing with whatever challenges the day (and the weather) might bring, they also look ahead to build a future for their farm by implementing new management practices, technologies and nutrition programs as well as training the next generation.

Alltech is calling all farmers, producers and ranchers to share their stories about how they are ensuring the future of their farm. By creating a one- to two-minute video describing what they are doing for their farm’s future and sharing their farm’s story, farmers have the opportunity to win a trip to ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference, held in Lexington, Kentucky, May 21–24, 2017.

Videos must be submitted online by April 3, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. EST. To enter a “My Farm. My Future.” video as well as read the full contest details, including rules and regulations specific to the participating countries, please visit http://one.alltech.com/my-farm-my-future.

Alltech will select the finalists and post their videos on Alltech’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/AlltechNaturally). Voting will open to the public starting April 3, 2017, at 3:00 p.m. EST and will close April 10, 2017, at 12:00 p.m. EST. The highest number of Facebook likes will determine the winners.

Registration is open now for ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference, held in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, from May 21–24. The annual international conference draws more than 3,000 attendees from more than 70 countries to network and discuss world-changing ideas. For more information or to register, visit one.alltech.com. Join the conversation online with #ONEBigIdea17.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – The 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey, released today, estimates that international feed tonnage has exceeded 1 billion metric tons for the first time. That’s a 3.7 percent increase over last year and represents 19 percent growth since the inaugural survey in 2012, despite a 7 percent decrease in the number of feed mills.

The sixth annual survey is the most comprehensive ever, now covering 141 countries and more than 30,000 feed mills. The results show that the U.S. and China are the top two countries, producing one-third of all animal feed, and that predominant growth came from the beef, pig and aquaculture feed sectors as well as several African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

“This year clearly demonstrates the growing efficiency and consolidation of the feed industry,” said Aidan Connolly, chief innovation officer and vice president of corporate accounts for Alltech. “Not only has total feed production exceeded 1 billion tons for the first time, but it has done so with fewer facilities, which means greater efficiencies and a decreased environmental footprint.”

The Alltech Global Feed Survey assesses compound feed production and prices through information collected by Alltech’s global sales team and in partnership with local feed associations. It is intended to serve as an information resource for policymakers, decision makers and industry stakeholders.

This year’s survey showed that the top 30 countries, ranked by production output, are home to 82 percent of the world’s feed mills and produce 86 percent of the world’s total feed. The top 10 feed-producing countries in 2016, in order of production output importance, were China, the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, India, Russia, Germany, Japan and France. These countries contain 56 percent of the world’s feed mills and account for 60 percent of total production.

Regional results from the 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey

· North America: North America feed production remains relatively flat. However, the region continues to lead other regions in feed production for beef, turkey, pet and equine.

· Latin America: Brazil remained the leader in feed production, while Mexico saw the highest growth in tonnage, now accounting for more than 20 percent of Latin America’s total feed production but still only almost half of Brazil’s total production. Overall, Latin America has moderate feed prices, but Brazil’s have increased this year. When compared to the U.S., Brazil’s feed prices are 20 percent higher for pigs and 40 percent higher for layers and breeders.

· Europe: For the first time in several years, the European Union saw feed tonnage growth. The region was led by Spain with 31.9 million tons produced in 2016, up 8 percent. Decreases came from Germany, France, Turkey and the Netherlands.

· Asia: China remained the top feed-producing country with 187.20 million metric tons, while increased production for the Asian region also came from Vietnam, Pakistan, India and Japan. Vietnam in particular grew 21 percent over the past year and moved into the top 15 countries list for the first time, specifically led by increased production of pig and broiler feed. Asia continues to be one of the most expensive locations in the world to raise animals, as Japan’s feed prices are some of the highest in the world and China’s prices are double that of most of the top 10 producing countries.

· Africa: Africa had the fastest regional growth for the fifth year in a row, with more than half of the countries achieving growth. Nigeria, Algeria, Tunisia, Kenya and Zambia each showed significant growth that was greater than 30 percent. The region still lags in terms of feed per capita but shows continued opportunity for growth. Africa also has some of the highest finishing prices of any region, as Nigeria and Cameroon both rank in the top five countries.

“Overall feed prices are down, and therefore food production costs are down,” said Connolly. “From a global perspective, we estimate the value of the feed industry at $460 billion.”

Notable species results from the 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey

· The poultry industry represented 44 percent of the total global feed production, a slight decrease from last year. This could be a result of avian influenza, industry consolidation and more efficient feed conversion.

· Positive growth was observed in pig feed production, particularly in Asia as Vietnam and Thailand are now top 10 pig-producing countries. China represents over a quarter of the world’s pig feed production, but sow numbers have decreased by almost 40 percent over the past three years.

· Global dairy feed production remained flat, while the U.S. and India reinforced their position as the top two producers with increases of 12 and 14 percent, respectively, whereas Europe saw a downturn. Turkey decreased by 1.5 million tons and Germany declined by 3.4 million tons.

· The U.S. maintained the top position in the beef industry, and estimated feed production was 10 percent higher than last year. China, Spain, Turkey and Mexico all showed increased beef feed production.

· Aquaculture continued its year-over-year growth with a gain of 12 percent in feed production in 2016. Increased production from Turkey, Germany, the U.K. and France contributed to a strong performance from the European region. Africa increased production by almost 1 million metric tons, while Asia maintained its volume. The increase in aquaculture feed correlates to the consumption of farmed fish.

· The 2016 survey was able to gather more pet sector data than previous years, allowing for more information to be captured on the size and scale of the market. The U.S. remained number one, while Europe and Asia also showed growth. France’s estimates were increased by 1 million metric tons, although this reflects more accurate data collection rather than a production increase over 2016. The U.K., Spain, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia and China also experienced growth.

“The Alltech Global Feed Survey provides valuable information and an annual pulse check on the feed industry as we look toward sustainably feeding a growing population,” said Connolly. “The survey continues to improve and provide more robust and reliable data.”

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – In an effort to improve soil quality and environmental protection in China, various key players from soil, fertilizer and livestock industries formed the Soil and Fertilizer Alliance of China (SFAC) in February 2016.

Alltech, guided by its founding ACE principle of positively benefiting the animal, the consumer and the environment, has joined the SFAC. Dr. Mark Lyons, Alltech’s global vice president and head of Greater China, has been named SFAC vice president.

“Alltech and the SFAC share a common goal to integrate livestock feeding and crop planting industries more efficiently and to work together toward a more sustainable future,” said Dr. Lyons.

The SFAC aims to fulfil the needs and promote the sustainable development of Chinese agriculture. It strives to improve the quality of Chinese soil and contribute to food security and modern agricultural development while being ecologically sustainable. Alltech is one of the top five animal health companies in the world, with a growing crop science business sector.

The Chinese government has put an increasing focus on the environment in recent years, with a particularly close look at agricultural practices. While traditional concerns such as proximity to water and large populations, as well as biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand levels, have been cited as reasons for farm closures, issues related to high levels of minerals and soil quality impact factors are now being examined. The Environmental Tax Law was approved at the end of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee meeting in December 2016, and minerals (e.g., copper and zinc) and heavy metal (e.g., arsenic) are listed in the Environmental Tax Law for scale livestock farms. Alltech’s proprietary mineral technology Bioplex® is being utilized in China to reduce levels of minerals and other polluting materials in manure, thus reducing environmental impact.

“Alltech has solutions to help livestock farms reduce pollution in animal manure, compost manure to a higher quality of organic fertilizer, and improve crop and animal health and performance by adding nutritional value more naturally through our research-based technologies,” said Dr. Lyons.

Alltech China is hosting an environmental meeting from March 7–9. The event will focus on overcoming environmental challenges and finding opportunities in the new green economy. For more information or to attend the meeting, contact Apple Zhang, marketing manager for Alltech China (azhang@alltech.com).

What do you say about an iconic individual that you are fortunate enough to have spent moments with in life?  What do you say about someone who, when we brought him to Ireland, packed the hall? He was a man who said the least but also the most. 
 
When we brought Muhammad Ali to Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland, to Turnpike Road, where his great-grandfather, Abe Grady, came from, to say the streets were packed would be an understatement.  With ties from all over the world right there in the middle of Ennis, we laid a stone commemorating the return of a long lost brother to Ireland. 
 
I will never forget seeing him when I was a 26-year-old, fight Blue Lewis from Detroit, right there in my home of Dublin at Croke Park.  The pounding these men gave each other was remarkable, and you would have to be there to hear it to understand.  When I said to him many years later, as I saluted him at our annual Symposium event in 2009,  "You know when you were in your prime, and I was in my prime, I always reckoned that I could take you in three."  He looked at me, looked at the audience, and signaled on his head with his finger that I was loopy. 
 
At the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Ali was most at home when he was greeting the children from Haiti.  They sat on his knee, and he tickled their tummies, and they knew they were safe with him. 
 
I sat with him in the car waiting to go into the Kentucky Horse Park outdoor arena for the Opening Ceremonies of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, and Coach Calipari had gone in the stadium just before us. I said to Ali, "Let's hold back.  This is your time."  As soon as he heard the crowds, it was like an electric switch went off in his brain.  He waved to the left and to the right to all his adoring fans.  That is the Muhammad Ali I will always remember. 
 
I have a collage of pictures in my office of our memories together, and not a day goes by that I don't see it. To have had the opportunity to meet him when we brought him across to Ireland to visit his great-grandfather’s home, and to watch his face as we relived his fights on the plane’s movie screens on the trip over is something that I will never forget.  We lost an icon.  We lost a great man. 

In today’s world, competition in the marketplace is significantly greater than it was 50 years ago. Damien McLoughlin, Anthony C. Cunningham Professor of Marketing at the University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, opened up the final plenary session of ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference by discussing a strategy for differentiation.

“What is it that you can do to make your competition irrelevant?” asked McLoughlin. “What is it that you can do to make competition less significant in your competitive and business life?”

The theme of McLoughlin’s talk pivoted off these questions. He gave many reasons why he believes competition is more intense right now, but the most important factor is the advance in technology.

“Today, all of the power is with the buyer,” said McLoughlin.

He said places like China, the Philippines, Vietnam and other competitors of the U.S “have access to ideas from the old world and they are applying those at new markets in the new world.”

“They’re pushing competitive activity in a way that we haven’t experienced before,” he explained. “These first three forces (Technology, globalization, demographic change), of course, are all beyond the control of any person in this room… However, there is one other force, which is impacting our ability to affect competition; that’s the strategic or strategy choice.”

McLoughlin then explored the “red ocean” and “blue ocean” strategies that define businesses.
 

Red ocean strategy
 

A prime example of a “red ocean” business is the soda industry. McLoughlin said that when you see soda in a grocery store, everything is priced the same and looks exactly alike.

“When their competitor takes action, they copy it straight away,” he said, illustrating one of the signs of a red ocean.

He believes this strategy consists of companies that compete in existing market spaces, beat the competition, exploit existing demand, make the value-cost trade-off and align the firm’s activities with its strategic choice of differentiation or low cost.

According to one of McLoughlin’s slides, the “red ocean” is the death of a firm.
 

Blue ocean strategy
 

McLoughlin used Southwest Airlines as an example of a “blue ocean” business. 

“They smashed the rules of competitive engagement, created large uncontested new markets, simultaneously pursued value and low cost,” he said.

The outcome of this strategy was that Southwest Airline is now the number one airline in the U.S, with an 18.5 percent market share in 2016.

A blue ocean strategy is the exact opposite of the red ocean strategy. You will know you have a blue ocean company if you, “create uncontested market spaces, make the competition irrelevant, create and capture new demand, break the idea of value-cost trade-off, align the whole system of a firm’s activity in pursuit of differentiation and low cost,” said McLoughlin.

“It’s a tall task,” he said.

McLoughlin says that the main core principle of blue ocean strategy is value innovation. “What I mean by that is, we find ways to reduce our cost,” he said.

The craft beer industry, Ocado (an online supermarket in the United Kingdom) and Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, are also successful utilizers of blue ocean strategies.

McLoughlin asked the audience two questions:
 

1.Do you dare to be different?

2.Are you willing to invest the strategic thinking time needed to create blue oceans?

He said four tools are needed for a blue ocean strategy within a company:

1. The strategy canvas.
2. The four actions framework.
3. Find new customers by looking for non-customers.
4. Price corridor of the masses - Price to encourage as many people as possible to buy the product.

Nowadays, fewer people are living in rural areas and even fewer are becoming farmers. While agriculture is being forced to compete with sprawling urban settlements for land and water, it will also be required to serve on other major fronts: adapting to and contributing to the mitigation of climate change, helping preserve natural habitats and maintaining a high level of biodiversity while continuing to feed the world.

New and traditional demands continue to grow for agricultural products, thus putting pressure on an already scarce resource. As our global population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, the question must be asked: How can we feed the world with a finite amount of land?

In order to visualize the world in 2050, Alltech created a virtual experience entitled ONE Vision. ONE Vision will allow attendees to experience a planet of plenty, where technology and science align in order to produce nutritious food. Attendees will be guided through a 10,000-square-foot virtual planet, where they can witness a world in harmony with its three essential elements: land, air and water. Attendees will also find themselves in sub-Saharan Africa, where advanced soil management solutions have tripled crop production, and in Asia’s paddy fields, where upland planting is producing sustainable harvests in flood-prone areas. Across the globe, the farms of the future are thriving as their animals achieve their genetic potential, producing more with less, all while reversing soil degradation and reducing water use, waste and emissions. Attendees can also interact with reaction tables, allowing them to understand the effects of today’s choices on the agriculture industry and future of our planet. 

By drawing back the curtain on the future and allowing attendees to glimpse what’s possible, Alltech hopes to encourage individuals to make the right choices today for their future tomorrow and thereafter. A future of plenty in agriculture is ours if we harness the power of technology, conserve resources and encourage innovation. 

While attendees mixed and mingled at the Alltech Craft Brews & Food Fair and admired the impressive wall of beers entered into the Commonwealth Cup, Dr. Pearse Lyons took the stage to prepare to announce the second Commonwealth Cup winner. Craft beer fans were intrigued to learn about a brewery several hours north of Lexington, The Dayton Beer Co. located in Kettering, Ohio, that took home the Commonwealth Cup at the second Alltech Craft Brews and Food Fest.

The competition is the only professional beer competition in Kentucky and boasted 350 beers from 20 countries. Beer was the name of the game for the day, beyond the excitement of the competition announcement, with many delicious brews being sampled by a wide range of craft beer fans with sampling glasses in hand, some sporting pretzel necklaces.

New to the Kentucky craft beer festival scene was Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing and Cigar City Cider & Mead. Their brews, Jai Alai IPA and Cowboy Dan’s Holiday Extravaganza, tantalized taste buds. Some of favorites from the fest included a pale ale, Zombie Dust, from Three Floyd’s and a limited release red ale, Debs Red, from Bell’s Brewing. 

Kentucky favorite breweries including Against the Grain brewery, Country Boy Brewing Co., West Sixth Brewing and more all poured classic as well as unique brews and chatted with beer fans.

From the new Kentucky craft distillers area came bourbon, brandy and even absinthe. The absinthe came from Louisville’s Copper & Kings Distillery and boasted a liquorice flavor. The company also produces vapor distilled lavender, citrus, and ginger versions.

Patrons also enjoyed sensory sessions with Mark Phipps and Ken Lee, master brewers at Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. The two longtime brewers offered their insight into malts, hops, and brewing the perfect beer. 

All in all, the fest drew 51 national and local craft breweries boasting 180 craft brews, with special tappings every 15 minutes that brought lines to popular booths. The fair will return next year due to popular demand and likely grow even more in its third year – we hope Kentucky’s craft beer fans will join us!