Dick Cantwell named Quality Ambassador at the Brewers Association

Dick Cantwell, an ambassador of craft beer quality.

The Brewers Association (BA) continues to build its congregation of ambassadors. The BA just announced the appointment of Dick Cantwell as its Quality Ambassador. What’s a quality ambassador do, exactly? In this role, Cantwell will make presentations across the country at state guild conferences and other places where brewers gather. Sounds cool, but what does BA head honcho Paul Gatza have to say about all this?

“A commitment to ensuring high quality craft beer is a top priority for the Brewers Association,” said Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “Dick not only understands this mission, he appreciates what quality truly means and how it is achieved. He will be a tremendous asset to our membership and the entire craft brewing industry in this new role.”

As one of the industry’s well-respected and experienced craft brewers, Cantwell co-founded Elysian Brewing Co. in 1996, where he served as head brewer until its sale to Anheuser-Busch in 2015. During his tenure, Elysian was named Large Brewpub of the Year three times at the Great American Beer Festival (1999, 2003 and 2004), and in 2004, he received the BA’s Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Brewing. Additionally, he has written for various beer magazines, including The New Brewer, Beer Advocate and American Brewer. His book publishing credits include Barley Wine (with Fal Allen) and The Brewers Association’s Guide to Starting Your Own Brewery, Second Edition. He is currently at work on a forthcoming Brewers Publications title about wood- and barrel-aged beers, with New Belgium’s Peter Bouckaert.

“I am delighted to be given this opportunity to connect with friends old and new around the country, helping to instill the culture of quality in beer and in business as we all strive to stay passionate and committed to this movement we’ve all created,” Cantwell said.

The BA technical committee formed the quality subcommittee in the fall of 2014 to conceptualize and facilitate the continual pursuit of beer quality for craft brewers. The technical committee selected a diverse group of brewing professionals to take on the task of supporting and advocating for quality. The purpose of the group is to provide a framework for quality to craft brewers and to provide guidance to achieve the vision of a membership that consistently produces beer of the highest quality.