BAA friends of microbrewers left to right: Ted and Warren Marti
(August Schell Br. Co.), Ken Shibilski (president Stevens Point
Brewery), F.X. Matt (FX Matt Brewery) at mid 1990 celebration
of BAA 50th anniversary. photo by Papazian
During this era, I felt privileged to participate at the Brewers Association of America conferences. Breweries were going out of business. Their membership was dwindling. I was astonished that outwardly sustainability discussions were absent. Yes I felt awkward and out of place. Beer industry pioneers such as Roger Briess and Ron Siebel continually encouraged me to participate. As a bushy bearded observer I was mostly welcome, though I recall one time a legendary brewmaster took me aside and lit into me. He accused me of doing the beer industry a great disservice. Astonished, it did not deter me. I made many friends with the surviving heritage brewers.
The rare confrontations only served to help define my resolve. Infamously the director advised startup microbrewers, “If you want to start a brewery, go ask God.” I felt even more passionate that there was a reason to exist, continue and develop services for small startup brewers. At the time, no existing brewing organization in America, reached out to microbrewers. The argument amateur vs. professional sailed over my head – at the time it was irrelevant. Being perceived as a maverick, sometimes unpopular and suspect I had to accept as part of what it took to construct change. This I know.
Here I get ahead of the story a bit. I recognized that including information and services for professional startup breweries amidst the structure of the American Homebrewers Association was not doing homebrewers any favors. We felt we were reducing content for hobbyists with professional content. This we felt would dilute value of American Homebrewers Association membership. With this in mind we started our professional division in 1983 called the Institute for [Fermentation and] Brewing Studies. It was logical to separate the two ideas, forming two divisions. At the time we included “Fermentation and” with the idea there would be interest in other forms of beer-like beverages such as sake and mead. We dropped this part after it became obvious the interest was in startup breweries and beer.
photo left: The late Roger Briess (Briess Malting Company) championed the homebrewer and microbrewer in a time we were considered unpopular commotion in the beer business. photo by David Bjorkman
Maureen is right to infer that “labeling laws and tax issues” were not high priority for our emerging organization. But she is dead wrong in stating, “He regarded microbrewing as an ‘extension of homebrewing,’ and therefore a logical extension of the AHA.” Yes, tax and labeling laws existed and quite frankly they were beyond any influence we could possibly have mustered.
What detractors at the time could never relate to was that it was far more relevant to help change or establish state and local laws. The fundamental right of microbreweries to exist, permit brewpubs to serve beer directly to their customers and legalize homebrewing was what we found ourselves immersed in.
The American Homebrewers Association and Institute for Brewing Studies were involved in networking with people all across the country who required centralized support and a brain trust to help change fundamental state laws that enabled the cultural foundation for our vision. A country where homebrewing was legal and microbrewing, self distribution and brewpubs could legally exist. At the time all of this was illegal in most states. In fact, our participating members related to us their real life business challenges. Our task was and always has been to react and offer the value which they were seeking.
There were local, city, county and state laws governing water usage, industry permits, waste, engineering, safety, etc. Municipal governments didn’t have a clue how to deal with very small brewery businesses. There were no modern precedents or standards at this new “micro-scale.” Again the Institute for Brewing Studies helped develop an informational and knowledge base which enabled development of the microbrewing industry. Inside the DC beltway politics were a distant priority.
It bugs me to no end when detractors claimed that the American Homebrewers Association, Institute for Brewing Studies and staff were not interested in government affairs work. We were and we did it – but we didn’t call it that nor did we know that we were actually doing it. We just did it and never felt the need to brag about it. Lesson learned.
We lived in Boulder. I had a beard. Time Magazine ran a front page story about Boulder, “Where the Hip Come to Trip.” We were serious about beer. We enjoyed and celebrated beer – and were proud of it. All of this was sometimes used against us. To some we were perceived as evil doers and only in it for fun and money. We enjoyed our beer, community and the exchange of relevant information. This is what was to bind homebrewers, small professional brewers and beer drinkers for decades to come.
Also See
Relax don’t worry have a homebrew insights on history
Early history of American Homebrewers Association - introduction
Papazian lays his cards on the table
Papazian wanted to push Joy of Brewing to the next level
Daniel Bradford comes on as a hired gun
Spring boarding from the first Great American Beer Festival
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