Tough Topic: Young Adults and AHA

Last week Ray Daniels the founder of the Cicerone program asked for suggestions on how to improve the 21-30 age group participation in the American Homebrewers Association (AHA).  I thought for a few days on this topic and have a few suggestions:

1. Make Yourself Known
2. College Involvement
3. Mentorship
4. Anxiety Reduction

All four are simple on the surface, but I understand they will not be easy to implement or carry out.  Sometimes for big results you need to try harder.

1. Make Yourself Known
This weekend at Night of the Living Ales I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt from a brewing group in a city I lived in for eight years.   I had no clue the organization existed.  If I knew it was there, I would have joined.  While it is in part the individual homebrew clubs job to publicize itself, promotion by AHA would be a good step in the right direction.

2. College Involvement
College involvement may result in quick growth, but comes with its own set of headaches.  Setting up school sanctioned homebrew clubs on college campuses may be met with some resistance from college administrators.  I believe establishing school groups would be a great way to let people know who and what you are.  Additionally, I am a firm believer that we live in a country that does not understand alcohol.  College groups may be able to teach alcohol responsibility.

3. Mentorship
Establishing a mentorship program, while labor intensive to set up and manage, may reap the greatest rewards.  By having new members pair up with a more experienced hombrewer newbies may learn much quicker and make the connection to the craft.  Mentorship could work in a few different ways.  One option would be for the mentor to coach the mentee through his or her first batch.  A better option would be to have a mentee head over to the mentors to brew a batch together.  I would point out that a mentee should not be a free loader and should help pay their own way.  Additionally, I think the pair should meet in a bar ahead of time and discuss what kind of beer they would make and to ensure personality compatibility.  Either way the relationship has to be one both participants are comfortable with.

4. Anxiety Reduction
Finally, AHA and the beer community needs to reduce the anxiety.  All to often I have come to events and had trouble breaking into a clique.  At least for me, that anxiety transfers to a homebrew club.  How can I join a group where I literally have no clue what I am doing?  I personally feel apprehensive to show up at an event where I have no good beer to share, and can not help.  One solution would be to suggest to homebrew clubs or the AHA itself in larger metro areas to host New Brewers Nights.  A mixer/ educational evening or weekend afternoon would allow people a place to come and know they do not need to prove they should be there.

I know some of these suggestions will not be easy to institute and may take some time, but I hope those at AHA take a look at them and give them some consideration.  Craft beer and homebrewing are quickly becoming a force in modern society.  To keep the concept of flavorful beer, made locally going in the right direction we need new brewers.  AHA does some great things, and I feel they have some big goals on the horizon.  I wish them luck.

Tags: AHA, Homebrewing