Adam Robbings believes that a strong homebrewing community can help and support the beer industry as a whole.
That’s why the Reuben’s Brews owners wanted to give back with a homebrewing contest at his Seattle brewery.
“We have always wanted to support our homebrewing roots — regularly participating in Pro-Am competitions,” he said. The brewery is just about to hold the 3rd Annual Hop Idol competition — a Reuben’s homebrew competition, where it invites homebrewers in a hoppy competition and the winner has their beer brewed commercially. Last year the brewery had over 100 entries.
The brew will be released in May at Reuben’s tasting rooms and distributed throughout the Pacific Northwest, on draft and in cans. It is also planned to be entered in the Pro-Am category at the Great American Beer Festival, as well as the Washington Beer Awards.
Holy City Brewing has tried to be open as much as possible to homebrewers since it opened said owner and Production Manager Chris Brown.
”We had a home brew shop at the beginning and we have had homebrew contests,” he said. ”It’s a community of good people that like good beer, so I’m happy to be involved and support them.”
Tripp Collins at Back Forty pointed out that anytime you can have a large support group, word of mouth travels fast.
”We have always tried to help out the local guys whether its bottle caps, bottles, a few pounds of grain or even yeast,” he said. “We certainly hope the feelings are reciprocal and that our reputation is positive in those groups.”
Fargo Brewing has a great relationship with its local club, Prairie Homebrewing Companions.
Every year co-founder Aaron Hill welcomes the winner of one of their competitions to brew a beer on the pilot system, then it has a release party in the taproom.
”We constantly donate items to their functions, and participate and support them in anyway we can,” Hill said. ”Especially as the first brewery in our market, they have been a great group to work with and collaborate with.”
In Toledo, Ohio, the Glass City Mashers has helped spawn multiple area breweries and fostered growth in Northwest Ohio in terms of craft beer. The first two presidents of the club that formed in 2011 have gone on to open breweries in Toledo.
Former Mashers president Scot Yarnell and co-founder Keefe Snyder work with the local homebrew club during the annual “Big Brew Day,” which is the first Saturday in May.
The brewery works with homebrewers to create a seven-barrel batch of wort that is sold at cost to homebrewers in the area on Big Brew Day five gallons at a time and the brewery welcomes homebrewers to brew on-site that day as well.
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