We strive to frame beer culture as young, energetic, and forward-looking. But what happens as brewers, drinkers, judges, writers, and publicans grow older alongside the culture they helped build?

This panel with Denny Conn, Julia Herz, Lucas Livingston, Laurin Mack, and Randy Mosher, explores aging not as a problem to solve, but as a lived experience to examine, celebrate, and question. Panelists will reflect on how time shapes our bodies, palates, priorities, creativity, and participation in beer culture. Topics may include ageism and gendered expectations, changes in sensory perception and consumption habits, physical adaptations in brewing and work practices, and what an aging population means for the future of the beer community as a whole.

This conversation welcomes older (and less older) participants to consider how beer culture can be more inclusive, sustainable, and humane across the lifespan. Drawing on perspectives from brewing, hospitality, sensory science, advocacy, and long involvement in the beer world, the panel offers space for candor, humor, and insight, with the goal of fostering intergenerational understanding and a healthier culture for everyone.