SL-022 Ask Not What Your Guilds Can Do For You
Welcome to this episode of Sightlines. I\u2019m Bryan Roth.
As cities and states start to reopen and the siren call of warmer weather encourages people to test the boundaries of self-isolation, the ramifications of the coronavirus linger. Much worry has been focused on our local and national economies, and while breweries have been a part of that, the impact of COVID-19 stretches further.
In this episode, we\u2019re going to find out what the last few months have been like for state and national brewers guilds\u2014the organizations that are formed to support, represent, and promote breweries all around the country. In normal times, these groups help to lobby for updated laws or market brewery members as a way to get customers to come out and visit. Both of these tasks have taken a back seat for guilds, particularly as they find themselves fighting for financial stability like so many others.
Along with every state\u2019s own guild, the Brewers Association serves as the national body for this collection of organizations, which are meant to act collectively for the good of U.S. craft beer.
But 2020 has thrown business as usual to the side. The leadership of these guilds is now focused on what they\u2019re meant to do in a crisis, and figuring that out in real-time. What happens when the organizations meant to support you\u2014especially during bad times\u2014can barely support themselves?