2024 Annual Report
For Prospective Members
Welcome, Prospective Member!
Welcome to a new year, and an opportunity to look back at the milestones, growth, achievements, and challenges the Texas craft brewing industry has faced in the previous year. We’re excited to share an abbreviated version of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild’s annual report with potential members as a way to look back on what we’ve been up to this past year. Read on for a recap of 2024 Guild highlights, membership composition, events, benefits, and more.
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!
Guild Membership Snapshot
Membership Composition
Q4 2024 Snapshot | 521 Members
Brewery & Brewpub Members
9 Regions across Texas
2024 by the Numbers
78
Guild Gatherings Hosted
220
Beers Poured at Texas Craft Brewers Festival
956
Beers Judged at Third Annual Texas Craft Brewers Cup
5,260
Small Business Saturday Glasses Ordered
1,171
Registrants for Guild Conferences and Webinars
34
Cities Who Joined the Brew City Texas Program in year one
1,520
NEW Texas Brewery Passport App Downloads
112
Jobs Posted to our Texas Craft Brewing Industry Job Board
We continue to face many challenges…
From rising costs and inflation, to changing consumer preferences, breweries had to navigate a slew of challenges in 2024 and, sadly, not all of our members made it through the year.
Yet, we saw new breweries open their doors, new collaborations forged, and many moments of industry resilience, joy, and community…
2024 Guild Milestones
Advocacy
With 2024 being an interim year, your Guild laid a solid foundation for the 2025 legislative session and worked to expand our Government Affairs reach. Here are a few of the activities we were focused on during the interim.
- Worked with the Texas Legislative Council, key stakeholders, and our enlisted Senate and House legislative champions to draft and gear up to file three companion bills for the Guild’s primary 2025 legislative priorities: Direct to Consumer Shipping & Delivery, Interfacility Transfer, and the Beers for Steers excise tax credit
- Worked with other alcohol industry stakeholders to promote modernization through the Consumer Choice Coalition and associations with friendly trade organizations
- Planned and Carried out brew days and sign-up for the Legislative Pro-Am competition in conjunction with the Texas Craft Brewers Cup, pairing legislative offices around the state with member breweries to build a deeper understanding of our industry within the Texas Capitol
- Traveled to D.C. to advocate alongside the Brewers Association for federal priorities including the USPS Shipping Equity Act, credit card fee competition, hop and barley research funding, etc.
- Represented brewers at both major political party state conventions engaging directly with grassroots advocates, political candidates, and sitting leadership about the issues that Texas brewers are facing
- Organized a number of legislative brewery bus tours for Texas legislators and staffers to get them out to breweries where they can learn more about the brewing process and the real world implications of the current regulatory system
- Worked with TABC and the Comptroller’s office to discuss several regulatory pain points such as label approval issues, audit issues, the RITS Report and Mixed Beverage Gross Receipts Tax
- Participated in an educational event for St. Edward’s University students to educate about the challenges of alcohol policy with other industry stakeholders
- Expanded our engagement with local governments through the Brew City, Texas program including providing draft resolutions for city councils to celebrate their local brewers and education on best practice suggestions for zoning and code issues that brewers may face through the Brewery in Planning Guide and discussion with participating city governments
Education
Here are a few ways we collectively worked to brew better beer, run better businesses, and build a better industry through the boundless pursuit of education, quality, and innovation in 2024.
- Held our largest Annual Meeting to date with approximately 730 attendees, a full trade show, and sessions focused on financial resilience, craft beer market trends, Guild leadership and involvement, etc.
- Brought the third annual Texas Brewery Roundup, a multi-day summer educational conference and trade show focused on Technical Brewing, Business & Hospitality, Brewery in Planning, and Company Culture, Health & Wellness topics, to Fort Worth for a jam-packed weekend of learning and networking
- Hosted member webinars focused on export development, Texas Craft Brewers Festival participation, and pursuing leadership opportunities in the Guild
- Held a 3-webinar series on Financial Literacy featuring professionals from a range of firms and perspectives to help our members improve their business operations and solvency
- Crafted a Brewery in Planning Guide as a living resource for our brewery in planning members and businesses expanding to second location
- Rolled out a new member discount with Hopsonomy to provide digital training opportunities for brewery staff
- Began cultivating a wider network of education and professional development opportunities for our members by establishing two new membership categories–Education & Workforce Development Provider and Nonprofit & Professional Organization, bringing new potential partners into the fold
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 2024.
- Held 78 Guild Gatherings across the state for members to engage in camaraderie, relationship-building, and knowledge-sharing
- Added more than 1,520 additional users to the Texas Brewery Passport for a running total of 14,500+ downloads since the app launched in 2020
- Welcomed approximately 5,000 total attendees from at the least 139 different Texas cities and towns, 39 states, and seven countries to the 2024 Texas Craft Brewers Festival. We were also awarded a grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture to expand the advertising reach of the festival, giving us the opportunity to promote the event–and Texas craft beer in general–across numerous print, digital, radio, and immersive channels
- Grew the Texas Craft Brewers Cup from 853 entries in 2023 to 956 in 2024 and saw significant press coverage across the state
- Launched the Brew City, Texas program, with 34 cities across the state joining us in year one to promote craft beer tourism and economic development in their communities
- Drove traffic to 100+ member breweries and retailers across the state for the largest Small Business Saturday promotion yet
- Promoted Texas as a craft beer destination, pouring samples for thousands of attendees at events like the State Fair of Texas’s GO TEXAN pavilion and the United in Beer Guilds Pavilion at Denver’s Great American Beer Festival
- Raised awareness of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, the Texas Brewery Passport app, and sold Texas craft beer merch at beer festivals like the Tall City Invitational in Midland, the Kreische Bluff SchuetzenFest in La Grange, the Little d Brewfest in Denton, and ATX Beer Party bottle shares in Austin
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 plus 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 2025 and beyond, our #1 priority remains to lose no rights. Your membership and engagement helps us stay in this fight.
Looking Forward
Know The Guild 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 70+ 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
- Build resilience in your team and your business by downloading and workshopping the Critical Incident Survival Guide, built by your peers to help you prepare for, navigate, and recover from a variety of disruptive incidents.
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 Opportunity & Social Impact Hub to find resources to promote belonging and foster cultures of professional development at your workplace
- 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 steep 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
- Currently a brewery in planning? Expanding to a second location? Check out our Brewery in Planning Guide for a wealth of knowledge, tips, and considerations to get you started
- Integrate education into your brewery with member discounts from our partners like Draught Labs and Hopsonomy. Plus, discounted TABC seller/server and food handler certification for your staff!
- Attend webinars, Guild Gathering presentations, and more educational events coming down the pike in 2025!
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
- Tap into member exclusive 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
- Promote your events through seasonal Guild event landing pages like our Pour Love Into Local and Oktoberfest celebrations calendars.
- Encourage your city to join the Brew City, Texas program and foster more opportunities for craft beer tourism and economic development locally
- 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
Educational Development Committee
Opportunity & Social Impact Subcommittee
Run for the Board!
Key Dates for 2025
Jan. 14
89th Texas Legislature Begins
The 2025 legislative session kicks off in Austin and, with it, your Guild’s fight to protect and advance the rights of Texas brewers during this 140-day window.
Jan. 17-19
TCBC Judging
Our statewide professional beer competition is back for its fourth year to showcase the outstanding quality and variety of Texas craft beer and the brewers who make them.
Feb. 6
Lobby Day & Legislative Pro-Am Tasting Event
Brewers from across the state visit the Texas Capitol to engage with legislators, educate them on our priorities this session, and engage in some friendly competition designed to get lawmakers out to visit breweries–the Legislative Pro-Am tasting.
Feb. 7-8
Annual Meeting & TCBC Awards
Our largest member-only event of the year returns to Austin for a weekend of education, leadership, and camaraderie. This year at a new venue: Circuit of The Americas Event Center.
Mar. 17-21
WBC Entry Drop-off
Secure, refrigerated, discounted shipping for the 2025 World Beer Cup in Indianapolis with drop-off points in DFW, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston.
June 2
Last day of Legislative Session
After 140 days, the 89th Texas Legislature comes to a close.
June 27-29
Texas Brewery Roundup
After some Texas-sized fun in Fort Worth in 2024, our summer educational conference returns to Houston this year!
Aug. TBA
GABF Entry Drop-off
Stay tuned for information on secure, refrigerated, discounted shipping for the 2025 Great American Beer Festival in Denver.
Oct. TBA
TCBG @ State Fair of Texas
Your Guild will return to the State Fair of Texas this year for select dates pouring Texas craft beer samples to curious masses in the GO TEXAN Pavilion.
Nov. 15
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. 29
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, 70+ 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 2025, 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 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
Sheila Garcia
Education & Events Manager
Sheila@texascraftbrewersguild.org
Travis Bailey
Government Affairs Associate
Travis@texascraftbrewersguild.org