Mitch Steele
The keynote speaker for the 2026 Bluebonnet Brew-Off will be Mitch Steele, Brewmaster at New Realm Brewing Co.
Mitch Steele has been brewing beer professionally for over 37 years, studying brewing science at the University of California Davis and home brewing prior to becoming a professional brewer. Mitch spent 14 years with Anheuser-Busch, including 4 years as a new product manager. Mitch then followed up with 10 years at Stone Brewing in San Diego County, where he managed all brewing operations as Stone Brewing grew from a 35,000 bbl operation to one of the top 10 largest craft brewers in the country, operating 4 separate breweries in 2 countries. In 2012, Mitch authored the Brewers Publications book IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale and in 2014, the Brewers Association awarded Mitch with the prestigious Russell Schehrer Award for innovation in craft brewing. In 2016, Mitch partnered with 2 other industry veterans to establish New Realm Brewing Co., which operates 6 brewery taprooms in the Southeast. Mitch currently co-chairs the Brewers Association Technical Committee and sits on the Board of Directors for Brewers Association.