Non-Alcoholic Beer Research & Innovation Meeting Brings NAB 'Who's Who' to NWA

As the popularity of non-alcoholic beer grows in the United States, Arkansas beverage researchers are at the forefront of improving production methods and flavor.

The Non-Alcoholic Beer Research & Innovation Meeting Feb. 5, hosted by the Center for Beverage Innovation, will bring together brewing industry experts from across the U.S. and Europe to the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1371 W. Altheimer Dr., in Fayetteville, for an all-day event covering many aspects of developing non-alcoholic beer.

"We've put together a 'who's who' of people working on non-alcoholic beer, from different influences that hops can have to new yeast strain development and microbial-safe draft line integrity, as well as market analysis," said Scott Lafontaine, co-director of the Center for Beverage Innovation and an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science at the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

The Center for Beverage Innovation is a unit of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The center is a multidisciplinary research and education hub that supports projects ranging from rice malting and brewing to non-alcoholic beer and wine research.

Dubbed NABLAB, the meeting is being held in collaboration with the Master Brewers Association of Americas Great Plains District and Fossil Cove Brewing Co., which are holding associated events Feb. 6-7. 

Considering there will be several interactive sensory sessions, NABLAB will be not made available online. Registration for the Feb. 5 summit is $75. A two-day bundle, including the Master Brewers Association district's annual meeting, is $140.

To register for either or both events, please visit the Great Plains 2026 Annual Meeting Registration page.

The NABLAB meeting will be divided into five sessions, featuring two to five speakers each, with sensory experiences throughout the day, like hop evaluations and beverage tastings. A non-alcoholic sake tasting with Justin Potts of Origami Sake in Hot Springs and a reception catered by Wrights BBQ in Fayetteville conclude the day. Lunch will be catered by Flying Burrito.

NABLAB schedule - Feb. 5

7-7:45 a.m. — Registration and networking

7:45-8 a.m. — Opening remarks with Lafontaine; Jean-François Meullenet, senior associate vice president for agriculture-research and director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station; Jeff Edwards, dean of Bumpers College; and representatives of the Master Brewers Association Great Plains District and Fossil Cove Brewing Co.

8-8:30 a.m. — "Developing Strategies to Create Great Tasting and Safe NABs," with Lafontaine

Session 1: Designing the Perfect Grist Bill for Modern NAB Brewing

8:30-9 a.m. — "Leveraging Novel Grain and Specialty Yeast in NAB Brewing," with Jessika De Clippeleer, associate professor in the Department of Biotechnology at Ghent University and head of the Innovation Centre for Brewing & Fermentation.

9-9:30 a.m. — "Consumer Perceptions and Market Potential of Grain-Diverse NABs," with Christian Schubert, a postdoctoral researcher from the Research Institute for Raw Materials and Beverage Analysis at VLB Berlin and a visiting researcher in the Department of Food Science at the U of A.

9:30-10 a.m. — Interactive Session: "Sensory Evaluation of NAB Flavor Profiles," with Alesha Ivey, a technical sales representative with Lallemand Brewing.

10-10:30 a.m. — Break

Session 2: Fermentation Innovation - Better Yeast for Better NAB

10:30-11 a.m. — "Hybrid Yeasts for Low-Alcohol Fermentation," with Irene Cibin, a Ph.D. researcher in Kevin Verstrepen's lab in Leuven, Belgium, where she focuses on developing new yeast strains for non-alcoholic beer.

11-11:30 a.m. — "Engineering Yeast for Performance and Flavor in NAB," with Anthony Bledsoe, vice president of product strategy at Berkeley Yeast.

11:30 a.m. to noon — "Yeast Hunting for Special NAB Yeast," with Juan Ignacio Eizzaguirre, a postdoctoral researcher in the Research Center Weihenstephan for Brewing and Food Quality at Technical University of Munich, where he focuses on non-conventional yeasts.

Noon to 1 p.m. — Lunch: Buffet catered by Flying Burrito.

Session 3: Interactive Hops and Extracts Session

1-2 p.m. — "Explore How Hops and Extracts Can Be Used to Improve NAB Quality," with Tom Shellhammer, the Nor'Wester Professor of Fermentation Science at Oregon State University and representatives from Haas, KalHops and Hopsteiner.

2-2:30 p.m. Break

Session 4: The Next Generation of NAB Safety and Stability

2:30-3 p.m. — "Challenge Study to Investigate Traditional Hurdle Technology / Factors in NAB or MIC Hop Product Study," with Andrew Maust, a food science Ph.D. student at the U of A focusing on the microbial safety and stability of non-alcoholic beer.

3-3:30 p.m. — "Impact of Non-Thermal Inactivation Technologies on NAB Quality / Safety," with Florian Schrickel, a research associate at VLB Berlin specializing in brewing technology, beverage processing and non-thermal treatment technologies.

3:30-4 p.m. — "How Safe are NABs," with Grzegorz Rachon, section leader for brewing microbiology at Campden BRI in the United Kingdom.

4-4:30 p.m. — "Assessing Draft Quality Challenges in No- and Low-Alcohol Beer Through On-Site Pub System Screening," with Giulia Roselli, a Ph.D. researcher at the University of Nottingham working in partnership with Diageo PLC.

4:30-5 p.m. Break

Session 5: Rules, Retail and Reinvention of Non-Alcoholic Brewing

5-5:30 p.m. — "TTB's Top 5 Compliance Tips and Low/No Alcohol Regulations," with Aniko Kasprian, a regulatory specialist with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

5:30-6 p.m. — "NA Market Overview," with Charles Nouwen, a beer industry strategist and founder of Peer to Beer who previously served as director of the AB InBev Global Breweries Experience.

6-6:30 p.m. — Interactive Tasting: "NA Sake Innovation," with Justin Potts, director of brewing relations at Origami Sake.

7-9 p.m. — Reception and buffet-style dinner catered by Wright's BBQ.

To learn more about NABLAB, please contact Lafontaine at scottla@uark.edu.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity institution.  If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact Lafontaine as soon as possible.

To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit aaes.uada.edu. Follow the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station on LinkedIn and other social platforms at @ArkAgResearch and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

About the Division of Agriculture: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation's historic land grant education system. The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses. Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.