WV Brewers Guild seeks beer enthusiast, associate members

In an effort to build a better business climate and increased business for its member breweries, the West Virginia Craft Brewers Guild (WVCBG) is now seeking to enroll members other than breweries. The Guild has opened up four new membership categories for individual beer enthusiasts and allied businesses. 

Each membership category comes with a set of benefits designed to make the memberships beneficial and meaningful to those who join. All of these new membership categories are in sense associate, in that they are all non-voting memberships.

WVCBG President Sam Mauzy feels the time is right for the guild to branch out and communicate with the wider community. Adding an enthusiast membership category is something he has wanted to see for a while.

“It’s a great way to show the legislature and public the positive interest in the brewing industry,” Mauzy said. “It’s also a financial benefit to the guild, helping it promote a healthy craft beer industry in the state through legislation and availability of resources that the guild can offer its brewers.”

Mauzy, who is one of the owners of Big Timber Brewing Company in Elkins, thinks that a unified voice for the industry — from suppliers, to production, to distribution, to consumption — is key to achieving improvements on legislative and regulatory matters.

“If the public has a positive outlook on the craft beer industry, they are more willing to support it financially as well as vocally,” he said.

He says working with other industry members builds better relationships among brewers, distributors, retailers, and the many businesses that supply the industry with products and services. Mauzy believes that these better relationships will help all state breweries be more profitable. This improved profitability should, in turn, make West Virginia beer more competitive on the market and lead to a more durable state brewing industry and a stronger state economy.

Membership Categories & Fees

Enthusiasts

Beer Enthusiast memberships are available to individuals who enjoy WV-made beer and who want to lend support to the the growth of the industry. With his or her paid membership the enthusiast member will receive a West Virginia Craft Brewers Guild steel pint glass, decal sticker, and special coupons to redeem at member breweries. Those providing an email address will receive periodic notifications with important news from member breweries and the Guild.

Annual membership dues: $30

2018 Enthusiast Membership Sign Up Link

Retailers

Retail memberships are available to bars and restaurants holding a retail beer license. Those eligible for membership would also include entities holding or planning to obtain a beer festival license. The contact information for retailer members will be sent to all guild brewery members. Retail members would have the opportunity to partner with the guild for special sponsored events.

Annual membership dues: $150

Distributors

Distributor memberships are available to licensed beer distributors in West Virginia. Distributor members will have opportunities to sponsor guild meetings and networking events. Distributor members can attend and present to the members of the guild during quarterly meetings.

Annual membership dues: $500

Allied & Supplying Industries

Associate memberships are open to businesses, suppliers, allied trades, and other associations and individuals that seek to do business or develop relationships with WV resident brewers. Membership gets you the contact information for guild brewery members, opportunities to sponsor guild meetings and networking events, and opportunity to attend and present to the members of the guild during its quarterly meetings.

Annual membership dues: $300

How to Apply

A prospective member will need to apply by filling out a membership application and submitting it along with the annual dues to WVCBG. A copy of the membership descriptions and application can be found at these links:

WV Craft Brewers Guild Membership Application (all categories)

WVCBG Membership Levels Description and Dues

WV Craft Brewers Guild (Facebook page)
PO Box 102
Charleston, WV 25321