What Hobby Distillers Association does

The Hobby Distillers Association (HDA) is a 501(c) nonprofit advocacy organization formed in 2013/2014 by Rick Morris and Brewhaus America in Keller, Texas, to legalize home hobby distilling in the United States. It operates a three-tier membership model — Free, Individual ($59/year or $5.99/month), and Business ($250/year) — serving individual hobbyists across all 50 states and a small set of retail/supply partners. Its core function is legal advocacy and education rather than technology development: the HDA partnered with the Competitive Enterprise Institute to file suit against the federal government, and in July 2024 a federal judge ruled the ban on home distilling unconstitutional, a decision the Fifth Circuit affirmed in April 2026 and declined to reconsider in June 2026.

The organization generates revenue from subscription membership fees and merchandise sales (apparel, drinkware, and accessories priced from $7.99 to $52.99, distributed both through its own e-commerce store and exclusively via Brewhaus Marketplace). It runs content marketing through blog posts, YouTube videos, and newsletters, and distributes a member directory featuring supply stores such as Amarillo Brewing Supply, Clawhammer Supply, HomeBrew Stuff, and North Texas Homebrew Supply. The HDA is currently working on state-level legalization efforts across all 50 states, with Texas HB 2278 having passed the House 115-24 before failing in the Senate, and is expanding its product surface with a forthcoming HDA Magazine, a relaunched forum, and weekly podcasts.

The HDA holds no patents, employs no proprietary technology platform, and is funded entirely through membership dues and merchandise rather than institutional investment. Brand and IP are owned by HDA Brands LLC and licensed to the nonprofit. As of mid-2026, the organization reports 869+ members nationwide and is operating with a lean team focused on converting its federal legal victory into durable membership growth and state-by-state legalization.

Name

Hobby Distillers Association

Legal name

Hobby Distillers Association

Website

https://hobbydistillersassociation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Hobby Distillers Association is a 501(c) nonprofit advocacy organization that serves US hobby distillers through a free/paid membership model, providing legal advocacy, education, community forums, and branded merchandise following its landmark Fifth Circuit court victory legalizing home distilling.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association / Advocacy Organization

NAICS

Distilleries (31214), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crafts & DIY (Paper, Fiber, Wood, Resin, DIY Projects) (EDAAAGAB), Spirits Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD)

Keywords

• Hobby distilling advocacy
• Trade association services
• Nonprofit membership organization
• Legal advocacy services
• Distillery community resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Keller

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Fees: Annual or monthly subscription memberships providing access to educational content, community forums, member discounts, and advocacy updates. Individual membership is offered at $59/year or $5.99/month, providing advance access to blogs, legal updates, discounts on equipment and supplies, wholesale pricing on HDA merchandise, and access to the upcoming HDA magazine.
2. Business Membership Fees: Annual business membership at $250/year for retailers, suppliers, service providers, educators, and organizations. Benefits include top placement in the Retail Stores list on the HDA website, HDA Business Member decal and digital logos, and access to member resources.
3. Free Membership Access: Free tier providing email updates on legal battles and important news, access to the HDA Forum and community newsletter, access to growing recipes section, and public articles, guides, and YouTube videos. This tier serves as a funnel to paid memberships.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sales of HDA-branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, caps), drinkware (mugs, tumblers, glasses), and accessories (coaster sets, bumper stickers). Products are sold through the HDA's own shop and via Brewhaus Marketplace. Prices range from $7.99 to $52.99.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Hobby Distillers Association is a 501(c) nonprofit advocacy organization that recruits and serves members across three tiers (Free community access, Individual at $59/year, Business at $250/year) and sells HDA-branded apparel, drinkware, and accessories. Its core mission is to legalize home hobby distilling in the United States through federal and state legal advocacy, supported by education (articles, guides, YouTube), a community forum, and member discounts on equipment and supplies.

Product overview

The Hobby Distillers Association (HDA) is a 501(c) non-profit advocacy organization formed in 2013-2014 to protect the rights of hobby distillers and work toward legalization of home distilling in the United States. The organization operates a membership-based structure with three tiers: Free Membership (community access to updates and forum), Individual Membership ($59/year), and Business Membership ($250/year). The HDA also operates an e-commerce store selling branded merchandise including HDA Apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, caps), HDA Accessories (Glencairn glasses, shot glasses, ceramic mugs, travel mugs, coasters), and promotional items (bumper stickers). The organization focuses on education, advocacy, and community building for hobby distillers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Membership Always-free community membership providing email updates on legal battles and important news, access to the HDA Forum and community newsletter, access to the growing recipes section, and public articles, guides, and YouTube videos. Functions as the acquisition funnel to paid memberships.
• Individual Membership Premium individual membership priced at $59/year or $5.99/month providing advance access to blogs and legal updates, forum access with private discussions and member Q&As, deep-dive educational content and guides, member discounts on equipment and supplies, wholesale pricing on HDA merchandise, and access to the upcoming HDA magazine.
• Business Membership Partner membership priced at $250/year for retailers, suppliers, service providers, educators, and organizations. Includes top placement in the HDA Retail Stores directory, HDA Business Member decal and digital logos for website use, and access to member resources.
• Unisex Heavy Cotton Tee HDA-branded cotton t-shirt available in sizes S to 5XL, priced at $24.99-$30.99, sold via the HDA shop and Brewhaus Marketplace.
• Unisex Heavy Blend Hooded Sweatshirt HDA-branded cotton/polyester hooded sweatshirt priced at $46.99-$52.99, sold via the HDA shop and Brewhaus Marketplace.
• Unisex Distressed Cap HDA-branded distressed cotton twill cap with D-ring closure, priced at $24.99, sold via the HDA shop and Brewhaus Marketplace.
• Engraved Glencairn Glass Original Glencairn glass engraved with the HDA logo, designed for whiskey enthusiasts, priced at $14.99.
• Shot Glass, 1.5oz Custom clear glass shot glass with heavy solid base to minimize spilling, priced at $12.99.
• Ceramic Mug (11oz, 15oz) Customized ceramic coffee mug available in 11oz and 15oz sizes, BPA and Lead-free, priced at $7.99.
• Stainless Steel Travel Mug with Handle, 14oz Stainless steel travel mug with glossy white enamel finish, spill-resistant snap-on cap, and insulating plastic lining, priced at $28.99.
• Stainless Steel Travel Mug (15oz) Vacuum insulated stainless steel travel mug with black screw-on plastic lid and flip top, priced at $36.99.
• Corkwood Coaster Set 4-piece coaster set with high-gloss MDF top and cork back, 3.75 inch square, priced at $21.99.
• Bumper Stickers Premium water-resistant vinyl bumper stickers suitable for indoor/outdoor use, 11 inch x 3 inch rectangle, priced at $7.99.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won landmark federal court case ruling hobby distilling ban unconstitutional (Fifth Circuit, April 2026)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The Competitive Enterprise Institute partnered with HDA in 2022 to pursue legal action against the federal government regarding hobby distilling laws. CEI filed a lawsuit in December 2023 against the US Federal Government and TTB. This partnership resulted in the landmark Fifth Circuit victory in 2024-2026, with CEI providing legal resources and strategic support alongside HDA's plaintiff status.
• Brewhaus AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Brewhaus America co-founded the Hobby Distillers Association in 2013 with Rick Morris after the TTB requested sales lists from distillation equipment manufacturers. Brewhaus continued to fund the advocacy effort when other manufacturers stopped contributing. Today, Brewhaus hosts the official HDA merchandise store on Brewhaus Marketplace and provides ongoing organizational support.
• HDA Brands LLCcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerHDA Brands LLC owns the Hobby Distillers Association name, logos, and related intellectual property. This entity licenses the HDA brand to the Hobby Distillers Association nonprofit organization for use in furtherance of its nonprofit mission. Official HDA branded merchandise is produced and sold exclusively by HDA Brands LLC through Brewhaus Marketplace.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• American Homebrewers Association: Membership-based hobby organization for homebrewers offering advocacy, education, publications, and community—directly analogous to HDA's model but for beer rather than spirits. AHA is the closest functional analog and the proven model HDA is replicating for hobby distillers.
• WineMaker Magazine: Hobby winemaking publication and community serving home vintners with education, recipes, and a competitive ecosystem. Closely parallels HDA's structure as a content-and-community hub for a hobby alcohol-production community.
• American Distilling Institute: Education and conference organization serving craft distillers, with hands-on workshops and certification programs. Comparable in mission (advancing craft distilling knowledge) and overlapping audience with HDA.
• American Craft Spirits Association: National trade association for craft distillers providing advocacy, education, and industry resources. Direct peer in the distilling-adjacent trade association space, though focused on commercial producers rather than hobbyists.
• Home Wine and Beer Trade Association: Trade association supporting the home wine- and beer-making hobby industries, including retailers and equipment manufacturers. Direct peer as a hobby alcohol-production advocacy body serving both consumers and supply-chain partners.

Others

• National Home Infusion Association: Trade association representing providers of home and alternate-site infusion therapy. Not a direct competitor but illustrates the broader pattern of advocacy organizations emerging around hobbyist or non-mainstream production activities.
• Cigar Rights of America: Consumer advocacy organization fighting regulatory threats against cigar enthusiasts. Different product category but analogous hobbyist-rights advocacy model with grassroots mobilization and state-level legislative engagement.
• Sake Brewers Association: Specialty trade association for sake producers in North America. Thematically related as a niche alcohol-production advocacy body, though commercial rather than hobby-focused.

Broad incumbents

• Distilled Spirits Council of the United States: Major national trade association representing the interests of distilled spirits producers and marketers. Operates in the same regulatory and legislative space as HDA but represents established industry incumbents rather than hobbyists.
• Brewers Association: National trade association for the broader craft brewing industry, encompassing both commercial brewers and hobbyists via its AHA subsidiary. Significantly larger and more established than HDA and serves as a structural model for what HDA could become at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hobbydistillers
• Facebookfacebook.com/HobbyDistillersAssociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Hobby Distillers Association