What WASHINGTON BREWERS GUILD does

Washington Brewers Guild is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1999 that serves as the unified advocacy, education, and community body for craft breweries operating in Washington State. The organization supports, unites, and protects Washington craft brewers through direct legislative engagement in Olympia, including a Hill Climb and Legislative Reception, and a documented track record of advocacy wins such as tasting room authorization (1999-2005), strengthened self-distribution rights (2006-2012), expanded retail flexibility (2013-2018), and modern wins including defeating a proposed 100% beer excise tax increase (HB 2079), passage of HB 1602 and HB 1515, and statewide tourism funding (HB 2325). The Guild operates a four-pillar event portfolio — Washington Brewers Fest (the state's largest craft beer celebration with 75+ participating breweries), Washington Craft Beer Summit (educational conference and awards ceremony), Winter Beer Fest, and Guild Collab (regional collaboration across seven Washington regions brewing a West Coast IPA) — alongside member resources including a brewery directory, public job board, compliance guidance, and DEIA programming.

The Guild is 100% member-run with a board of directors elected from member breweries spanning seven Washington regions (President Robyn Schumacher of Stoup Brewing, Vice President Dave Vitt of Kulshan Brewing, Treasurer Kevin Quinn of Bale Breaker, Secretary Roger Bialous of Georgetown Brewing, and board members Dru Ernst of Dru Bru, Dave Riddile of Here Today Brewery & Kitchen, and Tom Schmidlin of Postdoc Brewing). Two paid staff lead operations: Executive Director Daniel Olson and Director of Membership & Events Shawna Cormier. The Guild is headquartered in Burien, WA (P.O. Box 66491, Burien, WA 98166) with no disclosed physical office.

The business model is membership-dues-driven with diversified event revenue. Brewery membership is tiered by annual barrel production across six tiers from $200 (under 750 barrels) to $2,000 (over 25,000 barrels). Allied members (vendors, suppliers, partners) pay a flat $500 per year, retail members (beer-focused bars, shops, restaurants) pay $100, and associate members (out-of-state breweries) gain directory and event access. Additional revenue is generated through ticketed signature events, sponsorship inventory (e.g., Angel of the Winds Casino Resort for the Brewers Lounge at Brewers Fest 2026), and trade-floor fees at the Craft Beer Summit. The go-to-market motion combines event-driven acquisition (signature events as visibility and recruitment venues) with community-led retention (monthly networking, regionally represented governance, legislative access). Distribution is concentrated entirely within Washington State, with 300+ brewery and allied members representing the addressable market.

Name

WASHINGTON BREWERS GUILD

Legal name

Washington Brewers Guild

Website

https://washingtonbrewersguild.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Washington Brewers Guild is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1999 that represents 300+ Washington craft breweries through legislative advocacy in Olympia, four signature industry events, educational programming, and shared member resources including directories, a job board, and compliance guidance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association / Industry Advocacy

NAICS

Breweries (31212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

Keywords

• Craft brewery association
• Brewing industry advocacy
• Brewery membership services
• Craft beer events
• Trade guild organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Brewery Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from Washington-based breweries, tiered by barrel production. Rates range from $200/year for breweries producing under 750 barrels to $2,000/year for those over 25,000 barrels. This is the primary revenue stream supporting Guild operations and advocacy.
2. Allied Member Dues: Flat annual rate of $500/year for vendors, suppliers, and partners who wish to connect with brewers through networking and gain event visibility.
3. Retail Member Dues: $100/year for beer-focused bars, shops, and restaurants to connect with Washington's craft brewing community.
4. Event Revenue: Revenue from signature events including Washington Brewers Fest (state's largest craft beer celebration), Craft Beer Summit (educational conference with trade floor), Winter Beer Fest, and Guild Collab regional collaboration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Washington Brewers Guild is a nonprofit trade association that represents craft breweries throughout Washington state. It offers brewery membership, industry advocacy, educational programming, and community events to support and promote the state's independent brewing industry.

Product overview

Washington Brewers Guild is a trade organization offering a suite of member services including advocacy, events, and resources. The organization provides four signature events (Washington Brewers Fest, Craft Beer Summit, Winter Beer Fest, Guild Collab), a member brewery directory, a public job board, member resource portal covering compliance, operations, and business tools, DEIA resources, and membership tiers for breweries, allied partners, retailers, and associate members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brewery Membership Annual membership program for Washington craft breweries that provides access to Guild advocacy, events, networking, and member benefits.
• Industry Advocacy and Representation

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully defeated proposed 100% beer excise tax increase (HB 2079)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Angel of the WindsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Angel of the Winds Casino Resort sponsors the Brewers Lounge at Washington Brewers Fest, providing brand visibility at the state's largest craft beer celebration at Seattle Center.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brewers Association: National nonprofit trade association for U.S. brewers (craft and otherwise). Operates one tier above state guilds; competes for member dues attention and sets national-level advocacy and technical standards relevant to Washington members.

Direct peers

• Texas Craft Brewers Guild: Nonprofit trade group for Texas craft brewers, focused on legislative advocacy, education, and events. Comparable in mission and tiered-membership revenue model.
• Illinois Craft Brewers Guild: State-level advocacy and member-services organization for Illinois craft brewers. Directly comparable governance, advocacy, and event-based model.
• California Craft Brewers Association: California state trade association for craft brewers, providing advocacy, events, and member resources. Directly comparable in mission, governance model, and revenue structure to the Washington Brewers Guild.
• Florida Brewers Guild: Florida nonprofit brewers guild providing advocacy, networking, and event programming for member breweries. Comparable membership-tier and event-driven structure.
• Colorado Brewers Guild: Colorado's nonprofit brewers guild offering advocacy, festivals, and educational programming for member breweries. Directly comparable in advocacy focus and member-run governance.
• New York State Brewers Association: Statewide nonprofit representing New York's craft brewers through advocacy, events, and member services. Directly comparable as a state-level guild with tiered membership and signature festivals.
• Oregon Brewers Guild: State-level nonprofit trade association representing Oregon craft breweries. Closely comparable in structure (membership tiers, advocacy, signature events) and in the Pacific Northwest craft brewing market context.

Others

• Craft Beer Guild (retail distributor): Massachusetts/New England beer and beverage distributor. Name-similar but functionally distinct — a wholesale distributor rather than a state trade association; included as a commonly confused adjacent organization.
• Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA): Professional association focused on brewing science and technical education for brewing professionals. Adjacent rather than direct — overlaps in education and technical training but does not perform legislative advocacy for craft brewers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Washington-Brewers-Guild-103016361260
• Instagraminstagram.com/wabrewersguild
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-brewers-guild

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 WASHINGTON BREWERS GUILD