On Saturday, March 2, a sold-out room of more than 70 attendees and nine breweries raised a pint and funds for the Mass Brewers Guild during Meet the Brewers Freshman Class of 2019.

The Mass Brewers Guild is the state’s nonprofit organization that works to protect and promote the interest of craft brewers. The intimate, roundtable style tasting event featured the state’s newly launched breweries and offered ticket holders unique access to brewers.

The line-up included Canned Heat Craft Beer, Crue Brew Brewery, Lost Towns Brewing Co., Redemption Rock Brewing Co., Remnant Brewing, Rustic Brewing Co., Small Change Brewing Co., Stellwagen Beer Co., and Vitamin Sea Brewing.

Charlie Cummings Head Brewer of Remnant Brewing Co., and Michael Patterson and Emily Vides, Somerville residents and co-owners of Small Change Brewing Co., donated their beer and time to the cause, sharing their brewery’s business stories, answering questions, and talking about their craft in 12-minute intervals while craft beer lovers sampled their suds. The speed dating style event helps to foster deeper connections between brewers and craft beer lovers and inspire a greater education of the brewing process.

“This event has attracted quite a following and attendees are excited to return year after year,” says Katie Stinchon, executive director of the Mass Brewers Guild. “Giving craft beer fans face time with brewers while they hear their start-up story, and sample some of state’s newest beer is a unique twist on a beer festival.” This is the third year that the Mass Brewers Guild has hosted this event.

The event raised $3,000 for the trade association and was held at Lookout Farm in Natick. The annual event will return in 2020 and feature the state’s new crop of freshman brewers. For more information about the Mass Brewers Guild, or to learn about upcoming events, visit Massbrewersguild.org.