Clients + Testimonials
Over the last decade, Miguel Rivas’ has worked and collaborated with a wide range of well known breweries, festivals, competitions and industry clients from around the world.
"Miguel is not only a masterful photographer, he is also a genuine beer lover. Together, these qualities make him one of the best photographers in the beer industry. We've known him for years, and his goal is always to support the beer community in NYC and beyond. Miguel has helped to tell the visual story of Grimm and the rise of craft beer more broadly."
— Lauren Grimm - Owner
Grimm Artisanal Ales - Brooklyn, NY
“Miguel's love of craft beer is perhaps only rivaled by his love of the stories behind them. It has been an honor to work with him as a journalist, a photographer, and a storyteller. His extraordinary curiosity enables him to dig deeper and uncover wonderful gems about an industry we all love so much.”
— Jeff Pillet-Shore - Marketing Director
Allagash Brewing Company - Portland, Maine
“Miguel has the ability to capture the very spirit of people and things, no matter the object of the shooting. Be it a still item or a moment in time, such as the case of portraits and events, you can count on The BeerTrekker!
Miguel's genuine commitment and passion towards the world of craft beer and the values it stands for adds an essential touch to an array of skills complete both under the professional and the personal point of view”.
— Agostino Arioli - Founder
Birrificio Italiano - Lurago Marinone, Italy
“The Brewers Association proudly uses Miguel’s artwork to tell the story of the American craft brewer. Miguel has his fingers on the pulse of the craft beer community & it shows in every frame he shoots. His passion for craft beer blends with his artistic eye behind the camera to communicate the dramatic story of independent breweries across the U.S. and the world.”
— Luke Trautwein - Creative Director
Brewers Association - Boulder, CO
“Miguel has an eye and a sense of how to best capture a beer moment. His skills, love of beer and understanding of people’s emotions when connecting to the drink and between themselves render his work unique. He helped us translate the unique atmosphere of the Brewers Forum as well as Prague’s splendid locations on picture. That was a great addition to our team and a memory builder for participants.”
— Mathieu Schneider - Project Director
The Brewers of Europe - Brussels, Belgium
“Miguel joined our project promoting the Czech brewing industry in 2023, and by contributing his skilled eye and storytelling skills he made it possible to bring our efforts to the next level. Working with Miguel during the whole week of a beer mission organized by the Czech government was a pleasure and his versatility allowed to cover a broad range of topics from hops and malt production all the way to craft breweries as well as major players in the industry. On top of providing very professional photographic materials and vast social media coverage, Miguel also connected on a deeper level with the Czech brewing community and has built relationships that will last way beyond this project.”
— Eva Libs Bartoňová - Head of Trade and Investment Section
Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Toronto - Toronto, Canada
“The Carpenter family has had the pleasure of getting to know Miguel these past few hop harvests. His work with us has shown his unique ability to capture the full experience of harvest with his photography skills. We enjoy our visits with Miguel and hearing of his travels and connections with brewers. He is fittingly named ‘The Beertrekker’ as he reaches the world of beer.”
— Brad and Austin Carpenter - Hop Growers
Carpenter Ranches - Granger, WA
“Miguel has consistently captured the different parts of hop harvest for CLS Farms over the last few years. His comfortability with his subjects allows him to easily connect, showcasing more authentic moments through his images. His inclusion of not just hops, but also people allowed us to share with our audience a look into the entirety of harvest. We appreciated Miguel’s role as an independent photographer backed by his extensive knowledge of the beer industry.”
— Claire Desmarais - Marketing and Sales Manager
CLS Farms - Moxee, WA
“Photographing a beer festival is easy. Understanding what a beer festival stands for and capturing its soul on film is a whole other matter, for which you need someone who feels connected to your world. Miguel Rivas is the kind of photographer and storyteller who understands what we stand for with BXLBeerFest. He perfectly captured the atmosphere and soul of our beer festival. He translated the passion we have for truly artisanal beer into a beautiful story in pictures. Miguel is a passionate, professional photographer and friend of BXLBeerFest.”
— Kevin Desmet - Co-Founder
BXLBeerFest - Brussels, Belgium
"Dicen que el diablo está en los detalles... yo puedo asegurar que Miguel también. El trabajo de Miguel es mucho más que sacar fotos y contar buenas historias sobre esas fotos: es descubrir la particularidad de cada lugar donde posa su ojo blindado, para hacerla visible de una manera original y fresca. Lo mismo puede trabajar en New York que en Shanghai, o en un barrio suburbano de Latinoamérica: ahí está con profesionalismo y talento buscando eso que nadie sabe exactamente qué es, pero que al final es lo único que importa. Tiene una sensibilidad única para interpretar la cerveza y su mundo."
— Ricardo “Semilla” Aftyka - Co-Fundador
Juguetes Perdidos - Buenos Aires, Argentina
“En la Indie Beer Cup (IBC) hemos trabajado de la mano de Miguel desde los primeros pasos de nuestro proyecto. Su trabajo fotográfico es de clase mundial y se complementa con una genuina pasión por la industria y sus creaciones. Siendo esto fundamental, para nosotros siempre será necesario resaltar su compromiso con la totalidad del proyecto y su disposición y vocación natural al trabajo en equipo. Desde la IBC consideramos a Miguel no solo como el fotógrafo oficial del proyecto sino un embajador que ha tenido la generosidad y gentileza de comunicar nuestra Copa a un nivel global acercándonos a las mejores cervecerías de USA y Europa”
— Ignacio Castro Cortiñas - Co-Director
Indie Beer Cup - San José, Costa Rica
“Miguel has been a friend of Blackberry Farm Brewery for many years now, and we always enjoy the stories he tells about our brand and our industry. We’ve had the pleasure of working with him at several events and he’s a true community builder in every sense of the word. One of our greatest joys is sharing moments and memories with friends in all facets of our industry, and he is a shining light on all that is good, while also inspiring us with his images and stories from his travels around the world”.
— Roy Milner - Chief Fermentation Officer
Blackberry Farm Brewery - Maryville, TN
“Las fotografías de Miguel no son solo fotos, cuentan historias cuando las miras. Tiene un don especial que es único en nuestra industria. En su visita a Peru viajo miles de kms por aire y tierra para cubrir eventos en los Taprooms de 7 VIDAS y también para una sesión especial en la cervecería donde además preparamos una cerveza colaborativa. El material que nos entrego es de una calidad excepcional y lo hemos venido utilizando en medios impresos y redes sociales. Increíble fotógrafo, un guerrero en los viajes y ahora un gran amigo. ¡Esperamos poder tenerlo de vuelta en Peru muy pronto!”.
— Marco Malaga - Founder
Cerveza 7 Vidas - Tacna, Perú
"We first welcomed Miguel at the St. Bernardus brewery in 2018. Although he travels the world visiting breweries big & small, we could really feel his admiration for our beers and our way of working. We were humbled when we received his photographs and read his article about our 'Heavenly Nectar.' There's no doubt Miguel understands this business in a very profound way!"
— Pieter Verdonck - Marketing Consultant
Brouwerij St. Bernardus - Watou, Belgium
“Miguel is the photographer maestro for events and media shoots. He shot memorable official photos for several of our NYC Brewers Choice, and high profile Brisket King and Pig Island NYC events, amongst others. His photos are cherished memories.
He was an integral part of our "On The Road With Beer Sessions Radio” NY state travel podcast mini series. Traveling with the production crew as a photographer and writer… A good photographer preserves memories!
Before working with Miguel, I did not realize how much value his photography added to the event and media experiences.”
— Jimmy Carbone - Host/Founder/Producer
Food Karma NYC events & Host of Beer Sessions Radio on Heritage Radio Network podcast - New York City
“Miguel is one of the best in the business - his love and knowledge of beer is only surpassed by his love and knowledge of photography, making for professional photographs worthy of billboards, print, social sharing and more. Plus, he's a fun & great guy to hang around. Consider yourself lucky if you have the opportunity to work with someone as talented and knowledgeable as Miguel.”
— Craig Alperowitz - Owner
Bolide Communications - New York City
“Miguel is not only passionate about photography and storytelling but passionate about life. You see that passion and love through his lens. Miguel has been a friend of the brewery for years and has always been an inspiration. It is a true honor to call Miguel a partner and friend.”
— Kevin Lemp - Co-Founder
4 Hands Brewing Co. - St. Louis, MO
“A pesar de los momentos difíciles debido a la pandemia, llegó Miguel con su lente y su talento a recordarnos lo afortunados que somos y el porqué amamos tanto lo que hacemos en la Milagrosa. Trabajar con Miguel fue una increíble experiencia ya que su profesionalismo y talento como fotógrafo y su experiencia en el mundo de la Cerveza Artesanal nos permitió ver nuestro negocio desde otra óptica, una óptica más sensible y humana.”
— Adriana Sarmiento y Ricardo Munar del Castillo - Propietarios
Cervecería La Milagrosa - Bogotá, Colombia
“Of course Miguel can take a beautiful photograph of a beer - I’m convinced he could do that in his sleep. Where he really shows off his skills is in showing the humanity and passion behind the beer, capturing the excitement and positive energy of the people who truly love to make and drink beer.”
— Heather McReynolds - Former Guinness Social Correspondent
Guinness USA - New York City
"Showing Miguel around Tröegs and central Pennsylvania was a real treat. We loved seeing our brewery, our people and our processes through his lens. He's a natural connector, and with a camera (and a cold, crisp pilsner), he has a special way of capturing the humanity and subtle energy of the beer world."
— Justin Williams - Senior Brand Manager
Tröegs Independent Brewing - Hershey, PA
“Miguel did an incredible job of bringing our idea to life, turning it into something better than we ever could have bargained for. We wanted to capture our Chicago brand, but working its way through the daily routines in New York City. The images that Miguel put together were stunning and gave us content for many months that each felt different, yet had the continuity that we were looking for, and most importantly it looked like us. Miguel puts his heart into everything he does and I look forward to partnering again for a future project.”
— Doug Veliky - Chief Strategy Officer
Revolution Brewing - Chicago, IL
“In a sea of uninspired bottle shots, or overly produced stylized photos, Miguel approaches beverage photography with such passion, artistry, and storytelling that is rarely found in today's field. I've been honored to work with Miguel via PorchDrinking.com through a journalistic and story-driven approach to amplify our articles. And I've also been lucky enough to hire Miguel in support of a client in Laws Whiskey, and each time he's brought such vibrancy to our subjects while also capturing the realistic essence of their surroundings. He is truly an incredible talent.”
— Tristan Chan - Founder
PorchDrinking.com - Denver, CO
“Miguel tiene una manera interesante de capturar la esencia de la industria cervecera artesanal. Su forma de ver a todos los que estamos en esta industria es única y transmite en imágenes la pasión que todos dedicamos a ella. A este señor lo sueltas en un festival y materializa desde otra óptica lo que sucede y lo que nadie usualmente está viendo.”
— Richo Fernández - Co-Fundador
Casa Bruja Brewing Co. & Micro Brew Fest Panamá
"Miguel Rivas is a spectacular visual storyteller. He frames the narrative of his work through the lense of both a creative professional and a true beer lover. A desirable combination that brings depth to every project he works on."
— Nathan Keffer - Co-Founder
Bandido Brewing - Quito, Ecuador
“Ha sido un gran placer conocer y trabajar con Miguel. Más allá de su excelente trabajo como fotógrafo, conoce mucho del movimiento craft en todo el mundo, lo que le ha permitido tener la experiencia para captar de manera realmente única la esencia de la cerveza artesanal en todos sus aspectos. Creo que el trabajo que realiza Miguel contribuye a dar visibilidad a las cervecerías en muchos países y a generar vínculos entre cerveceros y cerveceras.”
— José Pinos - Co-Fundador
Santa Rosa Cerveza Artesanal - Quito, Ecuador
"Miguel really captured the true feel of our Beer Fest and he is very talented at his craft. He always does such an amazing job that we've hired him every year since! We love the shots we have and use them in our marketing efforts. Miguel is well known and respected in the beer community and is a pleasure to work with."
— Michael Rhyan - Founder
Five Boro Craft Beer Fest - New York City
"Increíble trabajo el de Miguel con Pola del Pub: Fotos de otro nivel y buen rato compartiendo cervezas e historias. Sin duda un gran conocedor y fotógrafo cervecero que aporta muchísimo a la cerveza artesanal en Latinoamérica."
— Tomas Delfino - General Manager
The Pub - Bogota, Colombia
“A The BeerTrekker me lo recomendó un gran amigo en común, Ignacio Castro, a raíz de esto nos dimos a la tarea de investigar su trayectoria y trabajo realizado, para así llegar a la conclusión de trabajar con él con una gran ilusión de obtener un resultado diferente. Miguel resultó ser un gran profesional de la fotografía aplicada a las cervezas y su contexto rebasó nuestras expectativas de su trabajo.”
— Atenogenes Humberto Saldívar - Presidente
Aro Rojo - Tampico, México