AHA Membership. Why/Why Not?

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RandallFlag

RandallFlag

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Hi all. Just trying to wrap my head around the value of an AHA membership. I like their magazine and I have picked up a couple at my local shop a few times to read. However, outside of the magazine, what does a membership really get you? Is there a real need that they are filling? i.e. is there some secret anti-brewing legislation that they are rallying against?

Just curious whether or not it has value to you (and possibly to me). :D
 
one benefit is discounts at certain breweries and hombrew shops. plus you get a sticker! :D
 
It has a value to me for several reasons. It means that there is an organization out there lobbying for homebrewers rights (either enhancing them or making sure nothing is taken away from homebrewers) as it is on both a federal and state level that homebrewing laws are enacted. Mostly states are the ones that make it difficult to have things like homebrew competitions in certain states or may prevent you from taking your homebrew to a friend's house. Also, although I have been to only 1, they have rallies all over that are exclusive to homebrewers. And, of course, you can't enter the National Homebrew Competition without being a member. There are also a set of retailers that you can save a few bucks at to help offset the cost. These are reasons that I am a member (along with the great magazine!)
 
I had one but I never used it so I didn't renew it. If you go to a lot of the breweries they have discounts with it is probably worth it.

Plus the do have a lot of valuable information on their website.
 
I did the AHA thing for one year, and then let my membership lapse.
The magazine was neat, but that was pretty much the only benefit I received.

- There are various businesses that will give discounts to members, but not many in my area, so I never got to use my card or anything.
- There are AHA member-exclusive events you can attend, mostly brewery visits. Again, there was only one in my immediate area, and I wasn't able to attend.
- You could attend the NHC, but that wasn't something I was really interested in.
- There's the satisfaction of knowing that you are supporting an organization dedicated to promoting homebrewers' rights.... but meh. Apathy and all that.
- They have a website and chat forum with member-exclusive stuff, but at the time I was a member, activity seemed to be pretty light. I'd rather just come here to HBT.
 
evsol said:
It has a value to me for several reasons. It means that there is an organization out there lobbying for homebrewers rights (either enhancing them or making sure nothing is taken away from homebrewers) as it is on both a federal and state level that homebrewing laws are enacted.
Click to expand...

Not trying to be controversial here, but I'm just curious where there is a current or recent issue with homebrewing? i.e. in what state(s)? I only ask because this, to me at least, seems to be what they are priding themselves on and I have no way to place a value on it. Does that make sense?
 
hunter_la5 said:
.... but meh. Apathy and all that.
- They have a website and chat forum with member-exclusive stuff, but at the time I was a member, activity seemed to be pretty light. I'd rather just come here to HBT.
Click to expand...

LOL on the "apathy and all that."

This is exactly where I am at with this whole debate (currently). I feel like I want to be a good steward and support "the cause" but I don't really see the cause being an issue currently or in the near future.
 
RandallFlag said:
Not trying to be controversial here, but I'm just curious where there is a current or recent issue with homebrewing? i.e. in what state(s)? I only ask because this, to me at least, seems to be what they are priding themselves on and I have no way to place a value on it. Does that make sense?
Click to expand...

Last year the California ABC interpreted a then new law that was intended to make homemade wine legal to donate to charity (a good intention), as making it illegal to donate home brew to a brew festival. As a result (i.e. unable to get permits), the Southern California Homebrew Festival was cancelled for the first time in 24 years. Gray Glass and the AHA were very helpful in our lobbying for a new law (which was passed) to fix this problem. The festival is back on this year (now at Vail Lake Resort). Just one of many examples of the good work AHA does.
 
Well I'm going to be blunt. I did it for a 5% discount at my LHBS, which is the one I use frequently and get the discount on bulk grain as well and the magazine. That is absolutely the reason I joined. Sure, satisfaction in supporting an organization that is looking out for homebrewer is great and I've learned a good deal since joining, but it was not the reason I decided to join initially. In 2014, which I became a member sometime at the end of April 2014, my membership was paid for in discounts just from my LHBS. There are very few discounts in my area otherwise. I will renew again simply because I found it does pay for itself. If I slow down or stop brewing then I will quit it and would not have a reason to be a member anyway if I were to stop brewing completely.
 
I like Zymurgy, the discounts, the fact that they'll lobby on our behalf, and the National Homebrew Conference is a lot of fun.
 
LabRatBrewer said:
Last year the California ABC interpreted a then new law that was intended to make homemade wine legal to donate to charity (a good intention), as making it illegal to donate home brew to a brew festival. As a result (i.e. unable to get permits), the Southern California Homebrew Festival was cancelled for the first time in 24 years. Gray Glass and the AHA were very helpful in our lobbying for a new law (which was passed) to fix this problem. The festival is back on this year (now at Vail Lake Resort). Just one of many examples of the good work AHA does.
Click to expand...

I have been a member of the AHA for several years. I would say they do a lot of great work and I love getting a discount at my LHBS. My only potential beef is that they are a subgroup of the Brewers Association (BA). So there could be a potential conflict of interest between homebrewers and commercial brewers. A case in point is the recent law change in CA. It requires a "seperation" between commercial breweries and home breweries at beer festivals/events. That wording was specifically added by the California Craft Brewers Guild.......so as to not "confuse" the consumer:confused: I believe it is the BA/AHA policy to pretty much go along with whatever the local brewing guild is supporting. I wonder how far the AHA will go in "supporting" homebrewers without upsetting their BA members?
 
I donate because I like the work they do and I like to stay ahead of the game. I'm sure in 1918 everyone who was sipping a beer, figured they'd be able to do that forever. Even if everything looks good now, it doesn't mean that when someone new comes into office in your state that things won't change.
 
To me, the most important thing is supporting the legislative efforts..... Homebrewing was not even legal everywhere until VERY recently. There is absolutely nothing that guarantees it will always be legal. There have been lots of little obstacles to homebrewing, and AHA fights to break those down.

Beyond that, the magazine is basically worth it all by itself.

% discount at lots of homebrew stores.

Some pub discounts..... although, can't say I have ever even looked to use it.
 
The only why not I can think of is if you really couldn't afford $40 a year...**** I saved $10 just last friday at my local brewery on pints.

Only AHA members can enter the NHC
Zymurgy magazine
rallies! I still need to go to one of these
discounts everywhere. seriously, I have a buddy who doesn't even brew and he got one just for this reason.
Also access to all the seminars from past NHCs online
 
I've been a member for over 20 years. Originally it was to get the magazine. Information was harder to come by back then. Now it's just a habit, but I get most of my dues back in pub discounts so it's a no-brainer.
 
As previously stated, membership gets you access to ALL zymurgy back issues that have been digitized - every magazine going back to 2002. For comparison, BYO charges $4 each.

The discounts are nice, but I don't use them. I'm more interested in protecting my rights to homebrew. I also like the National homebrew conference.

Beyond that, I figure I'm finally in a position where I can pay for the membership. I shelled out the $600 this year for lifetime membership (and $100 for my wife) before the dues went up..
 
I have often thought of joining, but just have yet to pull the trigger .. as others have said, the back issues alone may be worth it ... but CERTAINLY the advocacy is worth it. We know that big beer and the big distributors can and will buy politicians and hire big guns attorneys to fight anything they think threatens their market position. Right now their sights are on craft beer, but they could easily turn to homebrewing. AHA keeps up with those issues.
 
I joined for the magazine and for the lobbying. Being attached to the military, I don't know where the hell Uncle Sam will send me next, so I'd like AHA's support. I have a fear that I'll get stationed in Alabama with its (if I'm remembering correctly) limit to 15 gallons per year for homebrewing!
 
I initially joined because people on HBT kept referencing stuff from Zymurgy articles. The back issues are good for recipes and the fact that you can search all the back issues at once for key words is awesome. I then found that all my local LHBS's discount 10% on all edible items (grain, hops, yeast, etc). It was a no brainer, it pays for it self if I spend around $400 per year in ingredients. That's not too difficult. I haven't even looked for other discounts yet! The lobbying efforts are just a plus.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
To me its worth it for what they've done (and continue to do) in support of this awesome hobby. I enjoy Zymurgy magazine but I've honestly only used a discount once at BJ's.
 
Some of the states are discouraging home and craft brewers with silly laws, I join to help fund the good fight. The discounts and app with back issues are wonderfully thick icing.
 
Cyclman said:
The discounts and app with back issues are wonderfully thick icing.
Click to expand...

Well put. It seems that you folks have made the case (at least for me) that there are more issues and concerns needing support out there than I would have imagined.

I love magazines and will probably never go "digital" for those as I dig the tactile feel of holding them. And given that the dues/fees will do more, it really just makes good sense.
 
It really depends on where you live. It wasn't until last year that my LHBS offered a 5% discount for AHA members. You can look at the benefits map here:

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/membership/aha-member-deals/

It doesn't even show the LHBS and only shows one deal for Raleigh (10% merch at local brewery) which is kind of pathetic. I think that this is an area that the AHA really could focus on improving on.

Besides limited discounts you'll get Zymurgy and access to member exclusive events like the NHC and the NHC competition.

Zymurgy isn't bad by itself - the articles are hit or miss, but it's mostly solid. The NHC competition is nice to participate in. I haven't made it on to a NHC yet but would like to at some point. You can check out all the benefits here:

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/membership/membership-benefits/

IMO annual membership is something I ask a family member for as a relatively cheap Christmas present. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it myself. Zymurgy is nice but the member benefits and discounts are lacking. I'd like to see improvement on this in the future. There's only twelve shown in North Carolina and half of those are in Charlotte and Asheville.
 
evsol said:
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/category/recent-alerts/

Gives all the recent and ongoing issues. May not make any difference where you may live, but overall, I want everyone's ability to brew to be unhampered as much as possible.
Click to expand...

LabRatBrewer said:
Last year the California ABC interpreted a then new law that was intended to make homemade wine legal to donate to charity (a good intention), as making it illegal to donate home brew to a brew festival. As a result (i.e. unable to get permits), the Southern California Homebrew Festival was cancelled for the first time in 24 years. Gray Glass and the AHA were very helpful in our lobbying for a new law (which was passed) to fix this problem. The festival is back on this year (now at Vail Lake Resort). Just one of many examples of the good work AHA does.
Click to expand...

That is the biggest "Why?" for me. I don't live where I get discounts at pubs, and there aren't any AHA rallies close by- but I am a big proponent on supporting the AHA's efforts.

There are other things too- like grants for the Research and Education fund, which can help all of us be better brewers.

That's the main reason I'm running for the AHA Governing Committee. (The elections will start later this month). I think that we ALL benefit from the work it does.
 
Darwin18 said:
It doesn't even show the LHBS and only shows one deal for Raleigh (10% merch at local brewery) which is kind of pathetic. I think that this is an area that the AHA really could focus on improving on.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Given the relationship between the BA and AHA, you think they could twist a few more arms. And please, no more merch discounts.
 
I joined cause it seemed like the right thing to do and I love having access to all the Zymurgy content. This is a great hobby, I guess I feel like I'm giving something back, so to speak. I was a paying supporter here for a year for just that reason. Probably should become one again.
 
Yooper said:
That's the main reason I'm running for the AHA Governing Committee. (The elections will start later this month). I think that we ALL benefit from the work it does.
Click to expand...

Yooper, what exactly does the Governing Committee do?
 
I belonged 20+ years ago for the info. 2 (semi) LHBS and an internet still being potty-trained made it tough to learn absent a mentor. Life events intervened and..............

Yooper said:
That's the main reason I'm running for the AHA Governing Committee. (The elections will start later this month). I think that we ALL benefit from the work it does.
Click to expand...

I joined again last year so I could vote for Yooper (and a couple of regional folks that looked worthy, one was elected).

Going to Rally in SF Saturday and another in March at UC Davis (and tally an In-law visit!). I think the awareness and advocacy that AHA provides is needed and valuable, with info and tech as a bonus.

Will be renewing Saturday, not so much just to vote, but thanks Lorena for stepping up again. I'm going vote for you twice, but I'm not from Chicago so they may not take:rockin:
 
From the AHA's own description:
The American Homebrewers Association (AHA) Governing Committee (GC) is an advisory committee to the AHA Staff and Brewers Association Board of Directors.

The members of the Governing Committee are elected by the members of the AHA and charged with shaping the policy and activities on their behalf. View the AHA Governing Committee Bylaws.

The Governing Committee also appoints two members as designates to the Brewers Association Board of Directors
 
The HBTalk forums folks are quite the community, I must say. Are there forum "get togethers" at these AHA conferences, etc.?

Ya'll are passionate, funny and I feel like ya'll are my drunk brothers/sisters in-law. And that one guy needs a helmet. ;)
 
RandallFlag said:
The HBTalk forums folks are quite the community, I must say. Are there forum "get togethers" at these AHA conferences, etc.?

Ya'll are passionate, funny and I feel like ya'll are my drunk brothers/sisters in-law. And that one guy needs a helmet. ;)
Click to expand...

We have had several meet ups at the National Homebrewers Conference- and I've posted lots of pictures and I know that Homercidal has, and SoperBrew has posted more than a few as well!

The Soper Bus Tour has become legendary! :D
 

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