With St. Patrick’s Day coming up this week, I decided to go with the brewing industry and the role AI plays within it. The brewing industry has been around for centuries, but it is only recently that artificial intelligence (AI) has started to play a significant role in the brewing process. AI is being utilized in the beer industry in various ways, including recipe creation, marketing, and predictive analytics. It is embracing artificial intelligence to improve operations and enhance the quality of products offered. A large player that you may know of is Anheuser-Bucsh InBev. (Think Budweiser, Corona, Michelob, Modelo, etc)
Recipe Creation
One of the most exciting ways AI is being used in the beer industry is in recipe creation. IntelligentX is utilizing AI algorithms and machine learning to help adjust its recipe. IntelligentX produces 4 varieties: Black AI, Golden AI, Pale AI, and Amber AI. These are delivered to customers, on a subscription service, using a delivery frequency. The customer provides feedback afterwards which feeds data points to IntelligentX’s AI algorithm. The algorithm revises the recipe to provide new customized beers for the next delivery, creating a truly personalized experience.
Carlsberg, a Copenhagen-based brewery, began their Beer Fingerprint Project in partnership with Microsoft. Carlsberg create 1,000 different beer samples daily and the fingerprinting project aims to change the way new beers are created. Sensors are used to determine the flavor fingerprint, accurately gauging the nuances and aromas of the beer, and analyze the different yeasts used. The data is collected by their AI system and the information can be used to explore new brewing organisms, resulting in the creation of new beers.
Champion Brewing Company, based in Charlottesville, teamed up with Metis Machine to develop their beer brewed using data science and machine learning. The beer, dubbed ML IPA the ML stands for machine learning is essentially what a computer believes the ideal IPA would be. The beer was created using the parameters used to judge IPAs at the Great American Beer Festival. The parameters Champion Brewing provided were based on Standard Reference Method (what gives the beer its color), International Bittering Units, and Alcohol by Volume. Information about the 10 best-selling IPAs and 10 worst-selling IPAs were also factored into the recipe creation. The result? an IPA with 6% ABV, 60 IBU, and 6 SRM (a deep gold color).
Marketing
AI is also being used to improve marketing in the beer industry. Companies like Heineken are using machine learning algorithms to analyze customer data and create targeted marketing campaigns. This includes analyzing customer behavior and preferences to create personalized marketing messages that are more likely to resonate with customers. In 2017, Heineken partnered with Walmart to analyze the behavior of customers in front of their shelves. With this program, Heineken gathered data on how every six-pack or can of Heineken left the store. This allows Heineken to adjust their sale and determine the best location in store to sell beer and when.
Predictive Analytics
AI is being used to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and minimize waste within the industry. Companies like Anheuser-Busch are using machine learning to analyze data from sensors on their brewing equipment, predicting when equipment is likely to fail and proactively scheduling maintenance. This reduces downtime on their machinery and improve overall efficiency.
AI helps optimize supply chain management, a great deal post-COVID where many industries struggled due to supply chain issues. By analyzing data from sources like weather forecasts, crop yields, and shipping data, breweries are able to adjust for these potential bottlenecks/disruptions and adjust accordingly. For example, AB InBev uses weather patterns and crop yields to optimize their supply chain. With this, they are able to reduce water consumption and decrease carbon emissions.
Conclusion
AI is becoming an increasingly important tool in the beer industry, providing brewers with new and innovative ways to improve the brewing process. From recipe creation to quality control, marketing, and predictive maintenance, there are many ways that AI is being used to streamline processes and improve efficiency. As AI continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovation in the beer industry, as brewers explore new and exciting ways to utilize this powerful technology. Cutters Thursday night.