Nils Weldy: The man who knows what's on tap for craft brewers in RI
Name: Nils Weldy
Age: 43
Hometown: Lives in Warwick, grew up in Barrington.
Position: Director of the Rhode Island Brewers Guild.
In May, Nils Weldy became the first full-time director of the Rhode Island Brewers Guild. The trade association comprises the state's 40 craft breweries, now operating or building out their facilities. His job is to address their "marketing, technical and legislative needs."
He's back where he grew up, with a mission inspired by his journeys and experience. Weldy is the former executive director of the Charlotte Independent Brewers Alliance in North Carolina. He also founded the Charlotte region's Queen City Brewers Festival in 2012.
With a full-time director leading the breweries, planning and promotion will be more deliberate to lead them into the future. Weldy categorized 2023 as "a foundational year," with a focus on three C’s: "building connections, camaraderie and consensus."
What does this mean for the public in 2024?
The first thing will be a bigger, better Craft Beer Week for March 1-10. This popular annual event spotlights breweries across the state.
One of the most successful events was a beer crawl that covered five breweries in Bristol and Warren. Guests got a punch card they could enter for a gift card. The concept could expand to other regions.
Weldy also wants to plan more events at restaurants and liquor stores to convey the idea that you don't just have to buy or drink craft beer in a taproom; you can order it with dinner and pick it up at local stores.
But that's not all.
"We are poised for a special year of celebratory festivals," Weldy said. "Planning is underway to bring RI its own and first-ever craft brewers conference."
Cheers to it all.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Nils Weldy's job is to grow the craft brewery industry in RI
