I’m writing this on the last day of the American Homebrewer Association’s Homebrew Conference in Portland, OR, and it is with mixed feelings. This is my third conference in a row, and for the first time, the warm, fuzzy, perpetually-about-to-burst-in-tears feeling I get from this conference is different, because all I can think about at this conference, is the launch of the Canadian Homebrewers Association.
Canada is long overdue for a national homebrewers association, and it’s no easy feat to connect everyone. We have over 36 million people spread out over almost 10 million km2, in ten provinces and three territories, with varying levels of accessibility. I have spent the last two years travelling across the country to various homebrew competitions, trying to get a better idea of what is happening in each region in terms of homebrewing, and to meet the homebrewers themselves. What I have found is a tremendous passion for homebrewing, each region with it’s own wealth of expertise and knowledge, and I just want to share that with everyone else.
It is important to share Canadian homebrewing stories. We should be proud of the accomplishments our homebrewers are doing. Many move on to open their own breweries, creating brand new industries in various areas in the country. Some train tens, even hundreds, of judges in their regions to better the quality of their local homebrew competitions. Many give back to their communities through fundraiser events, and business collaborations.
I want to celebrate how amazing our homebrewers are with an eventual event like the Homebrew Conference, but there is a lot of work that needs to done in changing our legislation across the country, to support an event like that. And we want to help you make that happen.
We have big plans to really change the homebrewing landscape in Canada, and we can’t do it without your support. Whether it’s purchasing a membership, or even going the extra mile and volunteering with us on projects, we are thrilled that you’ve joined us for the journey. If you have suggestions on what or how we can do something, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us. After all, all this is for you, fellow Canadian homebrewers.
For the love of brewing,
Kathy
The Canadian Homebrewers Association is a non-profit dedicated to promoting and advancing the hobby of homebrewing in Canada. Established in 2018, it currently has more than 330 members across most of Canada's provinces and territories.