The big news of late was that the American Homebrewers Association is being spun off from the Brewers Association as a stand-alone non-profit! I view this as nearly entirely a net good; the BA has increasingly treated the AHA as an unwanted guest during the past few years, and I don’t think the combination was making much sense anymore. The AHA had a reduced voice in BA governance, Homebrew Con was vastly scaled back (and cancelled for this year), AHA membership numbers were down from their peak, and there is a general sense that the hobby is ebbing versus the heady days of the early 2010’s. The vibe I got from the forums, likely at least in part from the aforementioned decisions, was that the AHA wasn’t able to provide a level of engagement or service that made it a compelling need for homebrew hobbyists.
There was some initial discussion at the AHA forum and a bit on Reddit, but overall this news has had surprisingly minimal chatter in the spaces I normally frequent. Exceptions include an optimistic blog post from Beervana, and an overview from Stan Hieronymus on Appellation Beer’s Monday links (including some important context and history that I haven’t seen much mentioned in the various AHA hagiographies). The AHA also posted some Q&A’s, which provide additional information.
AHA has asked for members to comment on what we’re hoping for in the newly independent organization, as well as a suggested vision statement. I have submitted my thoughts there, but in the meanwhile I also wanted to post them here in case they are useful for others.
“Please provide comments to consider on the future planning of the AHA.”
- AHA will need to decide its target membership — is it just for the USA? USA+Canada+Mexico? Worldwide? AHA can’t be everything to everyone, which on the one hand will be a disappointment for some, but on the other hand is necessary for organizational focus.
- On the topic of target membership, who is that? There is sometimes an implicit assumption that brewers are homeowners who work as engineers, and that’s not helpful. I really like the way that AHA has made things like 1 gallon stovetop batches more visible lately; let’s keep that energy going! (but don’t forget those making the 5 gallon batches)
- Similarly, what sort of fermentations does AHA support? Beer is the obvious core. Does mead stay as a part of this? They seem to be linked at least at an organizational level. Does it make sense going forward? My gut on this is “yes,” but I think it’s a question that needs to be asked! Are the legal frameworks for mead different from those for beer? I would argue against distilling becoming a core of the organization — it’s a very different process, community, and legal framework — and wine also doesn’t make much sense.
- I would love to see AHA target issues that matter to homebrewers. A big one in my book is that competitions like the NHC require many entrants to ship their entries in a semi-clandestine manner that contravenes shipping company policies! The NHC website itself states, “Shipments brought directly through UPS or FedEx may get denied, as shipping alcohol is against policy. Indicate ‘glassware’ or ‘samples’ if asked to provide such information.” Similar instructions are given for customs guidance for international entries. Maybe I’m too much of a rules follower, but this is inviting future disaster, and I don’t think the NHC should feel great about asking its entrants to lie, especially in a public forum. I’ll just be blunt and say that this is a stupid thing for a non-profit to do.
- With the disconnect between AHA and BA, I foresee a need for AHA to step up and advocate for homebrewers in brewery spaces–especially holding club meetings or organizing general events. Although laws vary from locality to locality, a “toolkit” for homebrewers or homebrewing clubs who want to meet up and share homebrew at public spaces would be very helpful. I think it could also be a potential collaboration between AHA and BA to communicate to the commercial industry about this ongoing desire from hobbyists.
- What is the future of Zymurgy? Personally, I like having a physical magazine; I spend too much time with electronic devices as it is, and I enjoy sitting with a homebrew and reading it cover-to-cover. I also recognize that print media is a mixed bag at best these days, not everyone shares my love of printed publications, and even the membership may be split on this. That said, I think any decisions should include both current membership (which I expect skews conservative in wanting a printed publication) and potential membership (which may or may not share those views).
- Who owns Zymurgy? That is, where does the copyright for the back issues reside? There is a ton of great content in there, and I am hoping it won’t be locked up by BA. If this hasn’t been outlined yet, it needs to be done ASAP — don’t hope for a future resolution. What other IP will matter?
- Consider apps carefully. If well designed, they are useful; but do we need another app for homebrewers? They are expensive to build and maintain, so I would somewhat argue against them.
- The recipe archive at the AHA website and in Zymurgy is valuable. I’ve seen a lot of people say, “But there are so many recipes online! I don’t need that archive.” So many of the recipes online are awful. I trust the recipes that the AHA produces, because they have at least minimal vetting.
- How does AHA confront the currently changing relationship of society with alcohol? I think it will continue to evolve and ebb and flow, but I do think we need to meet all potential hobbyists where they are.
- Community is important. I really love the AHA forum, and find it (for my needs) to be the kind of community I want overall. That said, I really would like to see the AHA help with informal meetups. Not everyone is a club member, or wants to be a club member, or can be a club member, and not everyone has capacity to attend a national conference. But, many folks (me included) would welcome a chance to meet up, swap brews, and hang out with fellow homebrewers. Years ago, AHA used to sponsor rally days. Could something like that return?
- What will membership guidelines / rules be? Most member-based organizations will have some kind of code of conduct / member expectations / etc. I don’t feel great about “litmus tests” for members, but I think we’ll want a process for removing someone who is acting counter to the aims of AHA or who grossly violates the norms of a healthy organization.
- Members need to feel like we have voices. This hasn’t happened with the BA in recent years. I recognize that there are many potentially competing interests, but yet another survey isn’t necessarily going to be what we need. There should, eventually, be a clear process for volunteering and participating in governance of the AHA. It can’t just be those with the cash to pay to attend HomebrewCon (or its equivalent) every year; that’s only partially representative of the membership.
- Speaking of fundraising, I suspect there is going to be heavy lifting to change the philanthropic nature of our homebrewing community. We are conditioned to “doing it for charity” at brew fests and such, but haven’t yet been primed to think of the AHA as one of those charitable options. Fortunately or unfortunately, many (most?) will think that the buck stops with their annual membership dues. We’re going to have to change that thinking. AHA will need to make a compelling case for why members should donate above and beyond their annual dues. Part of that is making initiatives that all members feel they might benefit from. That does not mean there shouldn’t be more focused initiatives (I support those!), but we need to have options. Don’t forget unrestricted donations, either! It doesn’t have to be an immediate donation — estate gifts are equally important. For that matter, make estate planning an option for members!
- What other hobbyist groups are important to link up with? If we have similar needs or potentially at least small overlaps in audience, that could be mutually beneficial. Can we learn something from other hobbyist organizations? Have they noted trends or opportunities that might parallel needs for the AHA?
- Speaking from a position of ignorance, what is the plan for after the BA? At least initial statements have said that connections for GABF, etc., will remain. What happens when BA says “no more” on that? (perhaps they have promised otherwise, but let’s be realistic here; if it’s not in writing, it’s going away) Would that scenario have a major impact? Or minor impact? Are there members who sign up just for GABF early access, and who would disappear if that disappeared?
- For those who have followed things, there is a general distrust and dissatisfaction with the BA. I suspect that is part of why AHA is going independent. BUT…we probably want to have some form of working relationship, at some level. What will that look like?
“Suggested Vision Statement for the AHA“
- “Relax, Don’t Worry, Have a Homebrew.” (only partly kidding)
- “The American Homebrewers Association will create a community of home brewers of beer and beer enthusiasts, promoting the fun of the hobby, building opportunities for sharing knowledge and camaraderie, and advocating for homebrewers of all locations, backgrounds, and brewing approaches.”
Later that morning, I hit Annie Johnson’s seminar on Czech pilsners. She had lots of great content, and is a tremendously engaging and entertaining speaker. It was cool to see how “casual” the big breweries are about things like sanitation (at least for their “reference batches”), and it was a good reminder that excellent results can come from even what we homebrewers might consider appallingly primitive technique. It was also nice treat to sample some of her homebrewed Czech pilsner…it’s not often I get to try beer from well-known elite homebrewers!
I’m excited to 
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