Dr. Matthew Bauman studies one question: why should the drinker choose you? An Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University Northwest near Chicago, he researches craft beer consumers, including what makes a craft brewery experience feel authentic, what makes it feel local, and what is actually going on with Gen Z. His latest study surveyed nearly 800 Gen Z drinkers, ex-drinkers, and never-drinkers, and its headline finding drives everything he does: knowledge drives consumption. He presented that work at the 2026 Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia and now serves on the working group helping shape CBC 2027 in San Antonio. Through The Beverage Doc, he helps craft breweries, distilleries, hospitality operators, and destinations turn research into decisions they can put into practice. Matt got his start cleaning kegs and pouring pints at 8th Wonder Brewery in Houston, teaches a course called Beer Appreciation that is exactly as fun as it sounds, and is quietly at work on a book about how regions make craft beer worth choosing. He grew up in Texas, so as the Texas of Canada, Alberta already feels like home north of the 49th parallel.
