Ohio Brewery News
12.05.2022
Happy Repeal Day!
On this day in 1933, the 21st Amendment was ratified and adopted into the Constitution, ending a 13 year ban on alcohol in the United States. The repeal of Prohibition put regulation of beer, wine and spirits largely in the hands of the states, where it is still primarily handled today.
Many state laws and regulations on alcohol date back to the repeal of Prohibition in the 1930s. Others were drawn up and implemented in the decades to follow when the beer industry in America was dominated by a handful of large, consolidated breweries. In the 1970s, beer wholesalers advocated for state laws that would protect their businesses from the outsized influence of these massive brewing conglomerates.
It would be decades before small, independent breweries would surge in popularity. When they did, most states regulated these newcomers using the same legal framework devised for the established mega-breweries and powerful beer wholesalers. In order to create a regulatory environment that would allow the nascent craft brewing industry to grow and thrive, small breweries banded together to create state guilds and trade associations to advocate for their interests. That’s where we come in.
What Does a Brewers Guild Do?
If you’re reading this, then you already know that a state brewers guild promotes to the public on behalf of its brewery members. In our case, the Ohio Craft Brewers Association publishes this blog, a weekly public email newsletter, the annual Ohio On Tap magazine, the Ohio On Tap brewery passport app, and public events like Winter Warmer Fest in Cleveland, Six One Pour in Columbus and Ohio Pint Day in brewery taprooms all over the state.
However, as mentioned above, the primary reason guilds like ours exist is to serve as an advocate for small breweries in state government. We work directly with legislators and regulators to revise outdated laws and ease administrative burdens on small breweries. As the legal and regulatory environment improves for our members, the end result is a consumer-friendly beer market and a craft brewery culture that supports local community growth and prosperity.
Beyond advocacy and marketing, we also provide our member breweries with educational resources, headlined by our annual Ohio Craft Brewers Conference and trade show. We provide cost-saving benefits to our members and help connect breweries with job seekers across the state via our jobs board. We also facilitate communication and connection between breweries and businesses that support them. The craft brewing industry is unique in its tight-knit, collaborative community: that camaraderie and cooperation fosters innovation that ultimately ends up in your beer glass.
How Can You Support Your State Brewers Guild?
Right now, today – Repeal Day, remember? – you can bid on an item in the Ohio Craft ExBEERiences Auction to benefit the Ohio Craft Brewers Association and our mission to promote, preserve, diversify and unify Ohio’s craft brewing industry. There are 40 unique beer-centric experiences and merchandise packages up for sale, donated by breweries and industry partners all over the state. Bidding ends at 7 p.m. tonight (Dec. 5, 2022), so act fast!
Want to help our legislative efforts directly? Become an OCBA Enthusiast Member with a donation to our political action committee. Your contribution will help us advance brewery-positive legislation in the Ohio Statehouse, and you get an exclusive member T-shirt as a “thank you” for your support!
You can also purchase from our Drink Beer Made Here merchandise collection at ohiocraftbeer.org/ocbastore and have your order shipped straight to your door.
If you’re looking to taste a bunch of Ohio’s best beer all at once, pick up tickets to Winter Warmer Fest (and the new Warmer’s Eve event) in Cleveland at beerfesttickets.com/winterwarmer23.
Of course, one of the best ways to support the craft brewing industry is by supporting your local craft breweries! Download the Ohio On Tap passport app for free and earn rewards for visiting breweries all over the state. Sign up for the Ohio Brewery News Bulletin and we’ll send you a weekly rundown of new brewery openings, beer releases, community events and more to help you plan your brewery visits. Follow us – @OhioCraftBeer – on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter for updates and more fun as well.
As long as you’re drinking craft beer, we’ll be here working to make sure breweries can keep the taps flowing. Thank you so much for your support!