2022 Year in Review
For Prospective Members
Welcome, Prospective Member!
This year we launched a new web-based annual report format to give Guild members a handy, accessible, and engaging way to reflect back on the Guild’s work from the previous year, and serve as a reference for key dates and membership benefits for the year ahead. We’re excited to share an abbreviated version of this report with potential members as a way to look back on what we’ve been up to this past year.
We hope you’ll consider joining (or rejoining) the Guild for the year ahead so we can continue to work together to advance our industry!
Membership Snapshot
Membership Composition
December 31, 2022 | 486 Members
Brewery & Brewpub Members
7 Regions across Texas
2022 by the Numbers
56
Guild Gatherings Hosted
248
Beers Poured at Texas Craft Brewers Festival
755
Beers Judged at Inaugural Texas Craft Brewers Cup
5,616
Small Business Saturday Glasses Ordered
923
Registrants for Guild Conferences and Webinars
83
Trade Show Exhibitors Across the Annual Meeting & Texas Brewery Roundup
3,177
New Texas Brewery Passport App Downloads
92
Jobs Posted to our Texas Craft Brewing Industry Job Board
It was a year of many challenges…
From rising costs and inflation, to supply chain issues, to logistics challenges, to hiring and retention struggles, to changing consumer preferences and behaviors, breweries had to navigate a slew of challenges in 2022 and, sadly, not all of our members made it through the year.
Yet, we saw new members open their doors, new collaborations forged, and many moments of resiliency, joy, and community…
2022 Guild Milestones
Education
Here are a few ways we collectively worked to brew better beer, run better businesses, and build a better industry through the pursuit of education, quality, and innovation in 2022.
- Held our largest Annual Meeting to date with approximately 600 attendees, 55 trade show vendors, and sessions focused on DEI, hospitality and brand growth, supply chain updates, Guild leadership and involvement, etc.
- Strengthened the pipeline of Texas craft brewers with professional, BJCP sanctioned beer competition judging expertise with the first inaugural Texas Craft Brewers Cup
- Added a full time Education & Events Coordinator, Paige Haines, to the Guild staff
- Revamped two Guild conferences–the Education & Safety Summit and the Brewery in Planning Summit–into the Texas Brewery Roundup, a larger, multi day event which was held in San Antonio for its inaugural year. The conference has two tracks (Technical Brewing and Business, Marketing & Hospitality), as well as a dedicated lead-in day for breweries in planning. The 2022 conference featured topics including small-scale packaging, combating burnout, throwing great brewery events, survivable hop compounds, business plan development, Small Business Association (SBA) loan financing, and more.
- Held seven member webinars focused on taproom accessibility, Texas Craft Brewers Festival participation, pursuing leadership opportunities in the Guild, and a four-part legislative town hall
- Set key goals and strategies for enhancing our existing educational offerings and growing new educational resources as part of the Guild’s strategic planning process
Advocacy
While 2022 was an interim year, we spent it deepening relationships with stakeholders and preparing for the 2023 legislative session.
- Conducted a member survey to identify our 2023 legislative priorities
- Added a full time Government Affairs Associate, Travis Bailey, to the Guild staff and restructured our Government Affairs Committee to include an Executive Committee, two subcommittees focused on Legislative and Regulatory work, and a general “Enlisted Membership” for additional support
- Held four bus tours to take legislative staffers out of the Capitol to visit area breweries and educate them on the issues impacting our small businesses
- Joined the Consumer Choice Coalition in an effort to build relationships and find common ground with other industry stakeholders pursuing modernizations to the Texas alcoholic beverage code
- Joined the Texas Agriculture Council in an effort to build relationships with Texas agricultural stakeholders at the Capitol and emphasize beer’s role as an agricultural product with legislators
- Attended the Texas Republican and Democratic Party Conventions to connect with federal, state, and local legislators as well as political grassroots on the issues impacting Texas craft brewers
- Staff and Board representatives traveled to D.C. to advocate alongside the Brewers Association for federal priorities including replenishment of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, USPS Shipping Equity Act, hop and barley research funding, etc.
- Set key goals and strategies for legislative priorities, CraftPAC fundraising, and stakeholder engagement as part of the Guild’s strategic planning process
- Engaged Texas craft beer fans and raised money for CraftPAC with a dunk tank at the Texas Craft Brewers Festival
- Put wheels in motion for the 2023 legislative session including identifying priorities (direct to consumer delivery/shipping aka Beer To You, as well as interfacility transfer cleanup), submitting legislation for drafting, recruiting legislative champions, and planning our outreach campaign around Beer-To-You!
Promotion & Community
Here are just a few of the ways we came together to collaborate, celebrate Texas craft beer, and cultivate a Texas craft brewing community in 2022.
- Returned to full capacity for the Texas Craft Brewers Festival, welcoming 5,000 thirsty craft beer fans to the state’s largest celebration of exclusively independent Texas craft beer
- Added more than 3,000 additional users to the Texas Brewery Passport for a running total of 12,00+ downloads since the app launched in 2020
- Rebranded our long running regional member meetups from “Brewers Nights” to “Guild Gatherings” in an effort to promote inclusivity among industry personnel
- Held 56 Guild Gatherings across the state with even more expected in 2023
- Brought on a new Guild Gathering region, the Heart of Texas, to engage breweries in the Waco/Killeen/Temple/Georgetown area
- Drove traffic to 90+ member breweries and retailers across the state for one of our most buzzed about Small Business Saturday keep the glass events yet
- Set key goals and strategies for enhancing member value, growing our events, and increasing promotion of Texas as a craft beer tourism destination as part of the Guild’s strategic planning process
LOOKING FURTHER BACK
Calculating ROI
A Brief History of Guild Legislative Victories and How They Tie to Your Brewery’s Bottom Line
Without a strong and engaged Guild membership using our collective voice, the legal landscape for breweries in Texas would look very different today. In fact, the vast majority of our members’ business models wouldn’t be legal today were it not for the collective work of the Guild. Here’s a list of our hard-fought legislative achievements over the last decade that have had immediate impacts on member ROI:
- Doubling of the brewpub production limit from 5,000 to 10,000 bbls (2013 Session)
- Legalization of distribution and self-distribution rights for brewpubs (2013 Session)
- Legalization of taprooms for manufacturing breweries (2013 Session)
- Ability for brewpubs to sell wine without prohibiting self-distribution privileges (2017 Session)
- Legalization of Beer-To-Go sales for manufacturing breweries (2019 Session)
- Elimination of the beer/ale distinction and excise tax reduction to beer rate (2019 Session)
- Out-of-county warehousing for self-distributed breweries (2019 Session)
- Elimination of mandatory product testing for label approval/product reg. (2019 Session)
- Collapsing of the Brewer’s Permit & Manufacturer’s License (and resulting permit fee reduction) (2019 Session)
While we look forward to more legislative progress in 2023 and beyond, our #1 priority remains to lose no rights and your membership and engagement helps us stay in this fight.
Looking Forward
Know Your Membership Benefits
Leadership & Connection
- Utilize the Member Forum to buy/sell/trade ingredients and equipment, troubleshoot issues at your brewery, and pick the brains of your fellow brewers
- Attend any of our 60+ Guild Gatherings across the state each year to network with industry peers, build connections, and forge collaboration
- Access the member dashboard and add staff users to your account for free to maximize your connections and use of resources within the Guild
- Pursue leadership opportunities and vote in Guild elections to help steer the advancement of our industry and safeguard its future
- Check out our monthly newsletters to stay up to date on industry news and Guild happenings
- Attend sponsored Texas Craft Brewers Guild member meetups at out-of-state events like the Great American Beer Festival and the Craft Brewers Conference
Business Resources
- Post your jobs to our Texas Craft Brewing Industry Job Board
- Tap into exclusive member Deals & Discounts
- Visit our Allied Trade Directory to find local, national, and international vendors who provide goods and services to the craft brewing industry
- Access customized, comprehensive, high-quality Employee Benefits Programs for as few as 2 employees through our partnership with WinStar Insurance Group
- Create ticketing for your brewery events at no direct cost through our partnership with Ticket Sauce
- Provide sexual harassment prevention training and an incident reporting platform for your team at a 30% discount through our partnership with WeVow
- Hiring? Participate in Craft Beer Careers, our regional job fair series making its way across the state
Education Opportunities
- Access the Education Resource Library for dozens of webinars and past conference presentations, and more resources to grow your brewing and business knowledge
- Visit our DEI Hub to find resources to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at your workplace or to further your professional goals
- Attend the Texas Craft Brewers Guild Annual Meeting, a member exclusive event focused on the state of our industry, Guild initiatives, and professional development
- Purchase tickets at a member discount for Texas Brewery Roundup, our multi-day summer conference focused on the technical and business aspects of running a brewery, as well as a dedicated lead-in day for breweries in planning
- Attend webinars, regional lunch & learns, Guild Gathering presentations, and more educational events coming down the pike in 2023!
Promotion & Industry Pride
- Participate in the Texas Craft Brewers Festival, the state’s largest event focused exclusively on independent Texas craft breweries
- Enjoy a steep member discount on Texas Craft Brewers Cup entries
- Pay less for secure, refrigerated group shipping for World Beer Cup and GABF beer entries
- List your brewery in Texas Brewery Passport™, the official app of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, an exclusive benefit only available to operating Guild member breweries
- Participate in our Small Business Saturday keep-the-glass event to drive traffic to your taproom or retail establishment
- Hang the Guild logo tacker in your taproom to rep your Guild! Haven’t received a tacker yet? Make sure to pick one up at the Annual Meeting or Texas Brewery Roundup or reach out to Guild Staff to arrange a pick up
- Put the Guild logo on your packaging to show off your Texas-made, independent beer!
*Some member benefits are exclusive to operating breweries.
Get Involved
Government Affairs Committee
Educational Development Committee
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Subcommittee
Run for the Board!
Key Dates for 2023
Jan. 10-May 29
2023 Legislative Session
We need member engagement to achieve legislative results at the Capitol. Participate in Lobby Day and stay tuned for further calls to action!
Jan. 27-19
TCBC Judging
Our statewide professional beer competition is back for its second year to showcase the outstanding quality and variety of Texas craft beer and the brewers who make them.
Feb. 9-12
Annual Meeting & TCBC Awards
Our largest member-only event of the year returns to Austin for a weekend of education, leadership, and camaraderie.
Mar. 1
Craft Beer Careers
After successful pilot events in North Texas and Houston in 2022, the DEI subcommittee’s job fair comes to Austin at Meanwhile Brewing!
Mar. 13-17
WBC Entry Drop-off
Stay tuned for information on secure, refrigerated, discounted shipping for the 2023 World Beer Cup in Nashville.
Jul. 13-16
Texas Brewery Roundup
After some Texas-sized fun in San Antonio in 2022, our summer educational conference comes to Houston this year!
Aug. TBA
GABF Entry Drop-off
Stay tuned for information on secure, refrigerated, discounted shipping for the 2023 Great American Beer Festival in Denver.
Aug. 23
Beers with the Board
Come meet your Guild board members & chat about what’s going on in the industry. North Texas brewery host TBA.
Sept. 30
Texas Craft Brewers Festival
Texas’s largest celebration of small and independent brewers-and the Guild’s signature public-facing event–returns for another big year in East Austin.
Nov. 8
Beers with the Board
Come meet your Guild board members & chat about what’s going on in the industry at Roadmap Brewing in San Antonio.
Nov. 25
Small Business Saturday
Our statewide keep the glass event returns to draw Texans out to shop–and sip–small on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Plus, 60+ Guild Gatherings
all across the state, webinars, and educational events TBA!
Thank you!
As a member-driven organization, the Texas Craft Brewers Guild fights for the advancement of independent beer brewed in the Lone Star state. Together, we promote, propel, and protect our collective interests while enlisting our fellow Texans to raise a glass and join us. Our Board of Directors and Guild Staff are working every day to make sure we provide value for our members and sustained leadership for our industry.
As we turn the corner into 2023, we are guided by a five-year strategic plan aimed towards the vision of making Texas the finest state in the nation for craft beer. If you ever have questions about your membership, Guild events, where we’ve been, or where we’re going, please reach out to your Guild staff below!
Caroline Wallace
Executive Director
Caroline@texascraftbrewersguild.org
Meg Ellis
Deputy Director
Meg@texascraftbrewersguild.org
Travis Bailey
Government Affairs Associate
Travis@texascraftbrewersguild.org
Paige Haines
Education & Events Coordinator
Paige@texascraftbrewersguild.org