Ohio Craft Brewers Association

What Ohio Craft Brewers Association does

The Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade organization founded in 2008 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Its stated mission is to promote, preserve, diversify, and unify Ohio's craft brewing industry, which it represents through 433 member breweries operating across 67 of the state's 88 counties, supplemented by cidery/meadery, allied trade, wholesale, and enthusiast members. The organization estimates that Ohio breweries generate nearly $1 billion in annual economic activity, support more than 8,000 jobs, and contribute over $1.15 million and 13,000 volunteer hours to charity each year.

OCBA's core product is the Ohio On Tap mobile application — a statewide brewery passport distributed on Apple's App Store and Google Play that lets consumers collect stamps, discover breweries, and access event information. Around it, OCBA operates a portfolio of programs: the annual Ohio Craft Brewers Conference (30+ educational seminars, 85+ exhibitors), the Ohio Beer Awards competition, the Brewers Freedom Alliance political action committee (OCBA PAC), the Brewing Diversity Scholarship, a published Ohio On Tap Magazine in partnership with Great Lakes Publishing, and a full calendar of consumer-facing festivals — Winter Warmer Fest, Ohio On Tap Week, Ale-O-Ween, Brewed on the Bikeway, Brewing HERstory, Fresh Hop Ohio, Mystery Beer Date, and Beers & Bogeys.

The business model combines recurring tiered membership dues (Brewery, Cidery/Meadery, Allied, Wholesale, Enthusiast) with event ticket and merchandise sales under the registered "Drink Beer Made Here" brand, plus annual fundraiser auctions such as the ExBEERiences silent auction and the Ohio Brew Haul campaign. Distribution runs through the ohiocraftbeer.org website, the Ohio On Tap app, an online merchandise storefront, and in-person events. Operations are managed by a small professional staff led by Executive Director Mary MacDonald and Deputy Director Justin Hemminger, governed by an elected board of directors representing member breweries and coordinated with the national Brewers Association on federal advocacy.

Name

Ohio Craft Brewers Association

Legal name

Ohio Craft Brewers Association

Website

https://ohiocraftbeer.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ohio Craft Brewers Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade organization founded in 2008 representing 433 craft breweries across Ohio. OCBA delivers industry advocacy, the Ohio On Tap mobile app, annual conferences, scholarships, and consumer festivals to unify the state's craft brewing sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing Trade Association

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alcohol Subscription Clubs & Membership Retail (CRANAAAI)

Keywords

• Craft brewing trade association
• Brewery industry advocacy
• Brewing membership services
• Craft beer events
• Brewery education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from brewery members, cidery/meadery members, allied members, wholesale members, and enthusiast members
2. Events and Festivals: Revenue from events including Winter Warmer Fest, Ohio On Tap Week, Ale-O-Ween, Brewed on the Bikeway, Brewing HERstory, Fresh Hop Ohio, Mystery Beer Date, and Beers & Bogeys
3. Merchandise Sales: Sales of Drink Beer Made Here branded merchandise including shirts, hats, flags, coasters, and growlers through the OCBA shop
4. ExBEERiences Auction: Annual silent auction fundraiser featuring experiential items like brewery tours, brew days, and unique experiences at member breweries
5. Ohio Brew Haul: Annual fundraiser encouraging craft beer fans to support Ohio breweries over Independence Day weekend

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association that promotes, preserves, diversifies, and unifies Ohio's craft brewing industry. It sells tiered memberships to breweries, cider/mead producers, allied supply-chain businesses, wholesalers, and enthusiasts, and delivers advocacy, education, networking events, beer festivals, the Ohio On Tap mobile passport app, the annual Ohio Craft Brewers Conference, and the Ohio Beer Awards competition.

Product overview

The Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA) is a 501(c)(6) trade organization that promotes, preserves, diversifies, and unifies Ohio's craft brewing industry. Rather than a single unified product, OCBA offers a portfolio of member services and programs including the Ohio On Tap mobile app (a statewide brewery passport), the annual Ohio Craft Brewers Conference (educational industry event), the Ohio Beer Awards (competition program), the Brewers Freedom Alliance (political advocacy/PAC), the Brewing Diversity Scholarship (educational scholarship), membership programs across multiple categories, the ExBEERiences Auction (fundraising event), and the Ohio Brewery News Blog (industry news portal). OCBA also provides governance through its Code of Conduct for member breweries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ohio On Tap: Mobile passport app for Ohio breweries

Products and services

• Ohio On Tap Mobile App A statewide mobile passport application allowing consumers to track visits to Ohio craft breweries, collect stamps, discover events, and access brewery information. Available on iOS and Google Play.
• Ohio Craft Brewers Conference Annual educational conference and trade show for brewing professionals featuring seminars, networking, and an exhibition floor; presented by Cincinnati Insurance Companies and attended by nearly 100 of Ohio's breweries.
• OCBA Membership Programs Tiered annual membership categories sold to breweries, cidery/meadery producers, allied businesses (supply chain), wholesale distributors, and craft beer enthusiasts, providing access to advocacy, events, marketing support, and the Code of Conduct.
• Ohio Beer Awards Annual competition recognizing excellence in Ohio craft beer brewing across multiple categories for OCBA member breweries.
• ExBEERiences Auction Annual silent auction fundraiser offering experiential brewery packages (tours, brew days, and unique member experiences) to raise funds for the association.
• OCBA Branded Merchandise Online shop selling Drink Beer Made Here branded merchandise including shirts, hats, flags, coasters, and growlers to consumers and brewery members.
• Craft Beer Festivals and Events Ticketed annual festivals including Winter Warmer Fest, Ohio On Tap Week, Ale-O-Ween, Brewed on the Bikeway, Brewing HERstory, Fresh Hop Ohio, Mystery Beer Date, and Beers & Bogeys sold to craft beer enthusiasts and consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 433 member breweries representing Ohio's craft brewing industry across the state
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brewers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025National trade organization supporting independent craft brewers. OCBA operates as an affiliated state-level guild and displays the Brewers Association Supporter Seal on its website. The partnership includes shared advocacy efforts, access to industry resources, and marketing code compliance.
• Giant EagleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional grocery retailer sponsor of Ohio On Tap Week kickoff party and Columbus Craft Beer Week events. Giant Eagle hosts Mystery Beer Date events and serves as a retail partner for craft beer distribution.
• Cincinnati Insurance CompaniesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of the Ohio Craft Brewers Conference, providing insurance services to the craft brewing industry.
• OCBA PACcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPolitical action committee accepting donations to support political advocacy and lobbying efforts on behalf of Ohio's craft brewing industry at the state level.
• Great Lakes PublishingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublisher of Ohio On Tap magazine, a regional craft beer lifestyle publication distributed across Ohio featuring OCBA member breweries and events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Texas Craft Brewers Guild: Texas's craft brewing trade association. Serves the same role for Texas breweries that OCBA serves for Ohio breweries: advocacy, education, networking, and consumer-facing events.
• New York Craft Brewers Association: State-level trade association representing New York's craft breweries. Provides the same core services as OCBA — advocacy, education, festivals, and member networking — in a different state.
• Michigan Brewers Guild: Michigan's craft brewery trade association. Directly analogous to OCBA in serving a Midwest craft brewing community through advocacy, events (e.g., the Michigan Brewers Guild Beer Festival), and education.
• Pennsylvania Brewers Guild: Pennsylvania's craft brewing trade association. Mirrors OCBA's structure as a state-level advocacy and member services organization for breweries, with comparable events and educational programming.
• California Craft Brewers Association: State-level craft brewing trade association for California. Directly comparable to OCBA in structure, mission, and member services (advocacy, events, education), differing only by geography and scale.
• Colorado Brewers Guild: Colorado's craft brewing trade association. Comparable to OCBA in mission, tiered membership, advocacy at the state level, and event programming for breweries and consumers.
• Illinois Craft Brewers Guild: Illinois's state-level craft brewing guild. Provides advocacy, marketing, and event services to member breweries in a model directly parallel to OCBA's approach in Ohio.
• Oregon Brewers Guild: Oregon's craft brewing trade association. Matches OCBA's model of state-level advocacy, member events, and conferences for breweries; comparable in organizational structure and craft-community focus.
• Florida Brewers Guild: Florida's state-level craft brewing trade association. Comparable to OCBA in mission and structure, advocating for breweries and hosting events/festivals in its state.

Broad incumbents

• Brewers Association: The national trade association for independent craft brewers. OCBA is explicitly an affiliated state-level guild of the Brewers Association; both serve the same core constituency (craft breweries) with advocacy, events, and resources, just at different geographic scopes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OhioCraftBeer
• Instagraminstagram.com/ohiocraftbeer
• Xx.com/OhioCraftBeer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ohio-beer-drinkers-association

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ohio Craft Brewers Association