9 Things Craft Chocolate Can Learn From Craft Beer

In our first episode for 2026, we're looking at 9 lessons craft chocolate can learn from craft beer. Most of these, honestly, are lessons craft beer has learned (or, actually, is still learning) the hard way, and craft chocolate businesses and the industry as a whole can learn from beer's mistakes and missteps. I also discuss my stance on the use of AI in craft chocolate.Episode timeline (approximate):1:00 - Introduction2:30 - Main topic4:30 - Industry Code of Conduct11:25 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion14:15 - Labor Practices16:45 - Acquisitions (Check out my blog post about big chocolate taking notice of craft chocolate here)21:45 - Prepare for Success23:25 - Collaboration27:30 - What Awards Do and Don't Mean30:10 - Not Your Hobby (You can check out Not Your Hobby Marketing by Julie Rhodes)32:15 - Band Together33:55 - My Stance on Generative AI36:00 - Recent News38:25 - End Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.