The AHA Is Going Impartial

How We Bought Right here and Why We Rejoice

[Editor’s note: see an update from Shawna Cormier and Julia Herz from February 27, 2025.]

By Shawna Cormier and Julia Herz

Massive information. On January 22, 2025 the American Homebrewers Affiliation (AHA) filed for incorporation within the state of Colorado as a step to turning into an impartial 501(c) nonprofit group. View the press launch. Based in 1978, the AHA has operated as a division underneath the umbrella of the Brewers Affiliation (BA)—the nonprofit commerce affiliation devoted to small and impartial American craft brewers—since 1983. Earlier than the top of 2025, the AHA will function as a nonprofit group autonomous from the BA. We’ve got created a brand new founding board and are within the closing levels of discussions to rent an affiliation administration firm to hold out AHA operations.

The AHA’s founding board, comprised of chairperson Shawna Cormier, members Sandy Cockerham, Drew Beechum, Greg Roskopf, Gary Glass, and employees liaison and present govt director Julia Herz, will act as a transition committee to steward the AHA to organizational independence in 2025 and set up the nascent group’s bylaws, imaginative and prescient, mission, strategic priorities, and management elections to occur in 2026.

This transition permits the AHA to prioritize the wants of homebrewing and the group in new and thrilling methods. It additionally elevates membership to have a board of administrators, bringing extra alternatives for member engagement and contributions. The AHA had the choice to stick with the BA, however with fewer members since 2019 (AHA’s top was 46,000 members, and right this moment now we have 23,000) comes fewer sources.

Experimentation, innovation, and general strategic planning are all areas the AHA has been trying to develop however couldn’t be fulfilled primarily based on the present construction on the BA. As shared within the November/December 2024 subject of Zymurgy, AHA members helped delivery the whole craft beer and impartial brewer motion, and we’re a significant a part of the beer ecosystem. We take the AHA legacy, homebrewers’ significance in tradition, and member wants critically, and this alteration will lay a path for brand new progress and member engagement.

Will My Advantages Keep the Similar?

Sure, for 2025, AHA member advantages will keep the identical. Sooner or later, look to see advantages refined primarily based on member enter. See the present abstract of the AHA membership advantages.

Why and When Did the Transfer Towards Independence Begin?

• Over the previous few years, we’ve been more and more listening to from members and the AHA committee that we’d like a reinvigorated new imaginative and prescient. Workers additionally voiced their need to transition to an impartial group.
• This decoupling is mutually supported by present AHA and BA management, and the board of administrators.
• Establishing the AHA as an impartial entity permits for tailor-made governance, an advanced staffing mannequin, and strategic flexibility to handle member wants and market dynamics.
• Intensive analysis in 2024 helps a continued want and demand for a nationwide group targeted on homebrewing.

What Was the Course of That Led To This Transfer?

• In 2024, the AHA launched into a complete strategic planning course of.
• Analysis that knowledgeable the AHA’s new route included a overview of the AHA’s mission and relevance, membership and retail provide store developments, employees enter on operations and program affect, committee and stakeholder insights on member advantages, a member/non-member survey that garnered 3,755 responses; a STEEP (Social, Technological, Financial, Environmental, and Political) evaluation; and an impartial monetary overview.

What Occurred To Homebrew Con?

• Sadly, now we have but to discover a appropriate associate to execute a cheap 2025 Homebrew Con (HBC), the AHA’s annual member gathering, and the standard location of the awards ceremony. Nevertheless, we’re on monitor with an ongoing seek for choices to convey again HBC as a valued and vital annual occasion in 2026.
• The 2025 Nationwide Homebrew Competitors (NHC) awards ceremony shall be streamed reside from Kansas Metropolis after the ultimate spherical of judging. Keep tuned for the livestream hyperlink. 

Thirsty For Extra?

We hope you share our enthusiasm for the alternatives our new independence brings. We admire your membership, help, and suggestions as we work to steward the affiliation into its subsequent chapter. It’s important to acknowledge that future AHA members and volunteer leaders will stroll, brew, and ferment within the footsteps of 1000’s of pioneer homebrewers who helped make the AHA, and craft beer, what it’s right this moment. What the AHA is tomorrow is now as much as us. Right here’s to a incredible new future for the unbelievable, enjoyable, and rewarding passion of homebrewing.

Founding Board of Director Place Description

American Homebrewers Affiliation, January 2025

Time period

2025 Foundational Board members shall be appointed to a one-year time period by the American Homebrewers Affiliation committee chair and the Brewers Affiliation board chair. This can be adjusted to align with the bylaws as soon as they’re developed.

Board Duties

The Founding Board is accountable for oversight that can lay the inspiration for AHA independence as a brand new 501(c). To that finish, it shall additionally:

• Adjust to fiduciary obligations of care, loyalty, and obedience.
• Adjust to BA expectations for board members.
• Oversee AHA’s enterprise and monetary affairs.
• Advise on Affiliation Administration Firm points as wanted, and as soon as included, choose and appoint the affiliation chief employees govt.
• Carry out duties entrusted to officers and administrators of a nonprofit company.

Different Duties

All Board of Director members are liable for strategic route and oversight of the Affiliation’s affairs, and as such, should:

• Interact in foresight and set up a imaginative and prescient, mission, and strategic priorities for the AHA.
• Advocate and undertake insurance policies in step with the Affiliation’s mission and assertion of goal.
• Make sure the Affiliation adopts and implements a succession plan for officers.
• Make sure the governance construction helps a various, competent, dedicated pipeline of volunteer leaders to assist transition the AHA into an impartial group.
• Promote AHA membership and champion the transition of AHA into an impartial entity.
• As soon as impartial, approve an annual funds and working plan, consider the efficiency of the affiliation’s director and Affiliation Administration Firm, decide the Affiliation and board strategic priorities, and monitor the achievement or non-achievement of deliberate aims.
• Carry out duties as assigned by any future Affiliation governing paperwork.

Be taught Extra About Your AHA Founding Board

2025 foundational board members are appointed to a one-year time period by the American Homebrewers Affiliation (AHA) committee chair and the Brewers Affiliation (BA) board chair.

Shawna Cormier, Board Chair

Shawna Cormier is director of membership and occasions for the Washington Brewers Guild, an Superior Cicerone®, BJCP decide, co-host of Cheers to Beers podcast, on the BA Board of Administrators, and chair of the founding board of the newly impartial AHA. With an MFA in Appearing (no joke), she found her love of beer by homebrewing. She loves enjoying together with her son and daughter and singing tacky musical theatre together with her husband.

QUOTE: “Homebrew now. Homebrew eternally. Homebrew for all!“

AHA Member for 11 years and counting.

Sandy Cockerham

A local of Indiana, Sandy Cockerham initially turned concerned about beer round 1983 after befriending some chemists at work who launched her to English ales at a neighborhood pub. She began homebrewing within the late 80s. In 2007, she took her first BJCP examination and scored a Nationwide rating underneath the BJCP’s legacy examination and have become a Grasp decide in 2012. She then ran for a BJCP consultant spot in 2014. She at the moment holds the rank of Grand Grasp 11 and likewise has mead and cider endorsements. Cockerham is president of the BJCP and serves as a Consultant for the Midwest area.

QUOTE: “I’ve judged at properly over 300 competitions within the final 17 years and revel in touring and judging homebrew and industrial competitions everywhere in the world. My favourite components of judging are assembly so many nice individuals along with serving to brewers, cidermakers, and meadmakers.”

AHA Member for 36 years and counting

Drew Beechum

Drew Beechum joined the AHA again in 2001 to assist arrange the Los Angeles Homebrew Convention together with his membership, The Maltose Falcons. He’s written for Zymurgy and different beer magazines, been a membership officer for 25 years, served on the AHA Governing Committee for practically a decade, written seven books on the artwork of residence fermentation, and hosts an everyday podcast: Experimental Brewing. He was the 2023 HomebrewersAssociation.org recipient of the AHA Governing Committee Recognition Award.

QUOTE: “I’m of the fervent perception that fermentation is the closest factor humanity has unlocked to true magic and alchemy. It’s enjoyable and wild and ought to be loved by every body—and it’s a lot better than constructing one other fowl home!”

AHA Member for twenty-four years and counting

Gregory Roskopf

Gregory Roskopf’s love for beer and brewing started whereas rising up in Milwaukee, Wis., a metropolis wealthy in brewing historical past and tradition. Beginning his homebrewing journey in 2007, Roskopf deepened his ardour by membership within the Beer Barons of Milwaukee (former membership), the Foam Blowers of Indiana (present membership), and his travels throughout the U.S. and Europe. As a Licensed BJCP Decide, he has expanded his data of beer kinds to assist others and serve the homebrewing group. With 20 years of expertise in affiliation administration and better schooling, Roskopf focuses on membership progress, instructional programming, and danger administration. As chief danger officer for Tau Kappa Epsilon Worldwide Fraternity, he leads an award-winning staff, driving membership worth and occasion success. Married with three kids who usually be part of him on brew days, Roskopf is devoted to fostering group and celebrating the artwork and science of brewing—all whereas maintaining it enjoyable and approachable.

QUOTE: “Homebrewing challenges us to honor custom whereas fostering innovation. By advancing the AHA’s mission, we create connections amongst brewers, domesticate inclusivity, develop our ability units, and rejoice what really makes homebrewing particular—the individuals and shared experiences that convey us collectively.”

AHA Member for greater than eight years and counting

Gary Glass

Gary Glass is head brewer at Left Hand Brewing Firm in Longmont, Colo. Previous to working for Left Hand, Glass spent 20 years working for the BA in numerous roles, together with 14 years as AHA director. He’s an authorized BJCP beer decide and is a decide for the celebrated Nice American Beer Competition and World Beer Cup competitions.

QUOTE: “Right this moment, we’re lucky to have flavorful beer brewed in all 50 states by professionals and homebrewers alike. Previous to the founding of the AHA in 1979, that was not the case—there have been only a few homebrewers, and beer was largely bland and homogenized. It took a revolution led by homebrewers and the AHA to get us the place we at the moment are. It was an honor to be a part of the AHA’s journey as director for a few years. I’m honored now with the chance as a board member to assist launch this subsequent chapter within the AHA’s historical past.”

AHA Member for 25 years and counting

Julia Herz, Workers Liaison

Julia Herz, AHA’s govt director, has greater than 20 years of expertise in brewing, together with two prior roles on the BA. Herz is a Licensed Affiliation Govt (CAE), BJCP Licensed beer decide, Superior Cicerone®, medal-winning homebrewer, and skilled zymurgist having made beer, mead, and fermented meals since 1994. She is the co-author of Beer Pairing: The Important Information from the Pairing Professionals (Voyager Press, 2015), the CraftBeer. com Beer & Meals Information, and co-host of the Sense of Beer Type Present. Herz’s accomplishments embody creating and publishing Craftbeer.com, the web site for craft beer lovers, and passionately main the promotion of small and impartial craft brewers and the impartial craft brewer seal, and selling accountable beer appreciation to mainstream media and beer lovers.

QUOTE: “Right here is to innovation and persevering with to convey the enjoyable of homebrewing and fermenting to the world. We take the AHA legacy, homebrewers’ significance in our tradition, and member wants critically. This evolution higher positions us to ship on what members are requesting.”

AHA Member for over 25 years and counting

Shawna Cormier is chair of the AHA Founding Board, co-founder of Seattle Beer College, and director of membership and occasions, Washington Brewers Guild.

Julia Herz is govt director of the American Homebrewers Affiliation. You possibly can observe Julia’s homebrew talks and travels on Instagram @ImmaculateFermentation or contact her at ahaed@brewersassociation.org.

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A model of this text appeared within the March/April 2025 Zymurgy journal. Entry this subject with Zymurgy On-line.