Beer & Craft Drinks Forum 2026: the main theme of the year — “Sustainability, Quality, and New Markets” April 2–3, Ternopil, Ukraine

21.01.2026, 13:29

 Beer & Craft Drinks Forum 2026:  “Sustainability, Quality, and New Markets” is a professional meeting of beer producers, craft beverage and strong distillate producers, technology companies, and beverage distributors from Ukraine and Europe. The forum will take place on April 2–3 in Ternopil and will serve as an effective platform for discussing current trends in craft brewing and beverage production.

The second day of the forum, April 3, will be held in the format of a business tour and will be dedicated to practical familiarization with real production processes. Participants will visit the production capacity of one of the key Ukrainian breweries, “Opillya”, as well as  PE "Hlibivske. The First Podillia Steam Brewery".

The craft beer industry in Ukraine is actively developing, attracting consumer attention with new styles, flavor experiments, and a combination of classic technologies with current approaches and innovative ingredients.

For 10 years, the media group “Technologies and Innovations”, together with the professional specialized journal “Drinks & Beer. T&I”, has been inviting brewers, distillers, and other beverage producers to join a professional meeting that creates opportunities for experience exchange, presentation of new products, discussion about technological solutions, and the search for ideas to develop or launch their own businesses. Since March 2016, this event has become the 16th Brewers’ Forum.

In the Focus of the Forum 2026

“Sustainability, Quality, and New Markets: How Beverage Producers Can Win in a Changing Environment.”

Real market trends drive the theme: declining purchasing power, changing consumer habits, increasing competition, the need for technological modernization, and growing interest in exports. The focus will be on practical solutions that help businesses withstand challenges and grow in 2026.

First day program

The first day will include four discussion panels: 1. Industry Panel: Trends and Challenges of 2026 Discussion of the current state of the beverage market, changes in consumption, legislative initiatives, strategies that allow producers to remain profitable, and forecasts for 2026.

2.         Technology Panel: The Full Cycle — from Raw Materials to Jar or Bottle. The forum will focus on quality control, working with raw materials, production stability, energy efficiency, automation, cold chain management, and equipment modernization.

3.         The next discussion panel - Trade, Marketing, and Export This panel will be dedicated to promotion strategies in 2026, including cooperation with HoReCa and retail chains, development of proprietary sales channels, digital marketing, export opportunities, and practical case studies from Ukrainian producers.

4.         The fourth discussion panel - Spirits Panel: Technologies and Production Standards. This is a platform for professional dialogue on product quality, legislative and regulatory frameworks, certification, current technological solutions, and the strategic development of the craft distillates market in Ukraine.

On conference day, the focus will be on presentations by experts and representatives of technology companies shaping the modern brewing and beverage production market. The professional discussion will involve technologists, industry consultants and analysts, brewery and distillery managers, as well as suppliers of equipment, ingredients, and engineering solutions.

The program will include thematic presentations, presentations of new technologies and solutions, and practical case studies from real production experience, enabling participants to gain applied knowledge and exchange expertise with industry colleagues.

Charity Auction

Within the framework of the Forum, by tradition, especially during wartime, the Forum will host a Charity Auction of goods and services provided by partners and participants to support brewers serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

•           At the previous Forum in Kyiv on October 23, UAH 81,000 was raised and used for paying for a power station for the “Aidar” unit, where brewer Dmytro Hudkov from Malle Brewery is serving.

•           In April 2025, UAH 116,000 was raised to purchase equipment for Volodymyr Yaroshenko, a brewer from Lviv’s Pravda Brewery, who has been serving since December 2024 in the UAV unit of the 424th Battalion of the 42nd Brigade and required essential gear. The upcoming Forum will also focus on fundraising to support the needs of one of the AFU units.

Public Tasting

Traditionally, the Forum is presented with a Public Tasting of beers and distillates from Ukrainian and international producers—partners and participants of the event. This is more than just a tasting; it includes live communication among participants, professional networking, exchange of experience and new ideas, and an opportunity to compare different styles, approaches, and recipes. This format creates an atmosphere of open dialogue between producers, technologists, distillers, traders, and industry experts.

Second day: business tour

The second day of the Forum, April 3, will be dedicated to practical acquaintance with real production and will take place in the format of a business tour. Participants will visit the production facilities of one of Ukraine’s key breweries — Opillia Brewery.

During the visit, guests will be able to see the entire brewing technology cycle with their own eyes which covers a tour to the brewing and fermentation facilities, filtration systems, and modern bottling and canning lines. A special highlight of the business tour will be the direct dialogue with the company’s technologists and engineers, who will share practical experience and answer professional questions. Participants will also gain in-depth insight into the capabilities of Opillia Engineering, a company division that develops and implements technical, engineering, and energy- saving solutions for the brewing and food industries, demonstrating a modern approach to production modernization.

The Forum will be useful and interesting for brewers, distillers, producers of craft beverages and cider, trading companies, HoReCa representatives, distributors, suppliers of technological solutions, as well as investors and consultants.

Beer & Craft Drinks Forum (previously known as the Brewers and Restaurateurs Forum, and later the Brewers and Distillers Forum) has been held for 10 years, since March 31, 2016, and became the first systematic professional platform for Ukrainian craft brewers.

Over this period, the Forum has had a significant impact on the industry:

•           In 2016, only a few dozen small breweries operated in Ukraine;

•           Over 10 years, the beer industry has grown to more than 200 commercial producers, including full-cycle breweries, microbreweries, and contract brewers;

•           A professional environment has been formed in which brewers openly discuss mistakes, solve technical challenges, and raise industry standards;

•           A culture of tastings, specialized events, and professional competitions has developed;

•           Technology companies have expanded their presence in the market, giving producers access to high-quality equipment and ingredients.

The Forum has become the event that gave the industry a professional voice and created its rapid growth.

T&I Media Group is a leader in professional media and the creator of specialised events in Ukraine’s agri-food sector. In February 2026, the media group and the journal “Drinks. Technologies & Innovations” celebrated their 15th anniversary. For more than 15 years, we have been creating industry projects aimed at market development—specialised magazines, websites, conferences and forums, business tours, and educational initiatives.

In the 2026 calendar of T&I Media Group: • organization of 6 forums and conferences dedicated to hot topics of industry development.

The organisation of the educational project Berry&Fruit Academy will include 6-8 events.

Publishing of 10 printed, specialised journals, updating our sites, including the forum platform forum.techdrinks.info.

Organisation of international, specialised, professional tours.

We join successful people around our numerous projects who strive to develop their own business and professional improvements, which are aimed not only at personal success but at the country`s development and prosperity.

Organisers invite to cooperation representatives of breweries, beer pubs, restaurants, and distillatories.

Together we are able to promote Ukrainian Craft and national beer, cider, and distillers producers working for the sake of the industry development and the victory of Ukraine.

Organizer: T&I Media Group

Main Information Partner: specialized journal Drinks&Beer and techdrinks.info

Main Organization Partner: Association  “Independent Brewers of Ukraine”

Main Industry Partner: Ukrainian Craft Distillers Association.

Main Laboratory Partner: Donau Lab Ukraine

Main Technology Partner: Opillia Engineering

Main Business Tour Partner: Brewery Opillia

Terms of participation as a participant:

For brewery companies:

Conference day - UAH 3000

Business Tour - UAH 2000

For technological companies:

Conference day - UAH 4000

(The price includes coffee break, lunch, buffet, and participation in tasting drinks and meals, service during the event, conference participant package with information materials; detailed post-report about the event with final presentations of speakers, sent by e-mail).

You can register for the Forum by filling out the Google form: https://forms.gle/BqGHXmPG7ki2P56T7

To book rooms, please contact us by phone: Ternopil, Mykulynetska St., 25a, Vatra Hotel Complex, tel. 068 325 33 25, 096 325 33 25.

For commercial proposals or for representing speeches and presentations, as well as registration of participants and partners, please contact:

Anna Pankratenkova, tel.: +38 097 759 25 83

Larysa Tovkach, tel.: +38 097 96 89 516

Iryna Petroniuk, tel.: +38 096 49 166 92

Project Manager: Nadiya Yashchuk, tel. +38 (068) 568-58-22, rnadia@ukr.net

Creative Director – Kateryna Koneva, Editor-in-Chief/Founder of the magazine “Drinks&Beer. TI”