BN AHA CLUB OF THE YEAR!

[TheDarkSide]

Just remember, in the end, we are all brewing brothers and sisters, one big club of drunks!

Unfortunately, this is not always the case if you read some postings on other forums. The BN is considered by some the red-headed stepchild in the group, and you can be sure that some of the people like Junket mentioned had the "speeches" about the BN not being a club all ready to go long before the announcement was made. I bear them no ill will, but just ignore them.

Again...congrats to the BN Army members who brought home this coveted prize. I'll be working my hardest to try to contribute to a repeat next year.

[San_Diego_Matt]

There's a guy in my club that is asking "How was the BN able to win CotY?" and totally thinks the BN club is fully funded by Justin and because Justin males boatloads of $ <snort> that that's going to somehow corrupt the club and will influence others to keep letting the BN Club win.

I've made some effort to explain to him how it really works, but I don't think he's listening and just wants to whine about it

[CRBrewHound]

There's a guy in my club that is asking "How was the BN able to win CotY?" and totally thinks the BN club is fully funded by Justin and because Justin males boatloads of $ <snort> that that's going to somehow corrupt the club and will influence others to keep letting the BN Club win.

I've made some effort to explain to him how it really works, but I don't think he's listening and just wants to whine about it

I don't know, our dontations did send him to europe

[BrewTa2]

I don't know, our dontations did send him to europe

You mean: The donation of a generous sponsor who sees more value in being a sponsor than J charges.

[BarefootLion]

$ <snort>

Yep I think that's where most of it goes.

[alan_marks]

Lets take a step back for a moment and take a look around us, notice how there has been a fundamental shift in amateur brewing? Many years ago the only way to learn about the hobby was to buy Charley P's book or join a local club or know someone who did it or a newsletter composed on an old IBM Selectric...get it?

Then the computer bulletin board came into vogue, tying up telephone lines all over the country while the geeks among us spent hours writing columns and memos and the newest thing, e-mails, to each other to try to learn more about brewing. the Homebrew Digest came into being and still has many resources to this day.

John Palmer learned about brewing and decided to leave a trail of breadcrumbs for the rest of us to follow, with the coming of the World Wide Web wrote "How To Brew" and gave us a context to figure out the technical details with his nomegraphs and instructions on basic brewing. This too has stood the test of time.

Justin Crosley figured out a way to blend his passions, radio and beer, with his shows on San Francisco radio. When that was too constraining, he created a podcast and with the help of family and many friends, Jon Plise, Jason Petros, Scott Lothamer, created an concept called the Brewing Network, using this new idea called pod-casting and internet radio, where people were not constrained by the barriers of time and distance. His knowledge and talent for communications brought the brewing community past the tipping point; now anyone who cared to could learn about this craft from many modern masters. Who would have known of Jamil Zainacheff if it wasn't for Jon Plise and Justin?

So here we are today, on the leading edge of a new opportunity of amateur and craft brewing. Let those who have ears to hear and the foresight to understand that the genies out of the bottle, so to speak, and that groups of people can come together for a common goal and enjoy the pleasures of each others company without having to actually be in the same room, or town, or time zone. Seems to me that a bunch of folks made a decision a year ago after NHC2010 to become club of the year no matter what, with or without the help of anyone else but our own fellowship. Guess what? THEY DID IT!

Can't take it back now...

Brew better beer,
Alan

[TastyMcD]

Very very well said Alan! No doubt the word is out about how to make better beer and the BN podcasts are certainly part of that. I'm getting a lot of correspondence from guys who placed in the second round thanking the BN and they didn't enter under the BN.

Tasty

[CRBrewHound]

Very very well said Alan! No doubt the word is out about how to make better beer and the BN podcasts are certainly part of that. I'm getting a lot of correspondence from guys who placed in the second round thanking the BN and they didn't enter under the BN.

Tasty

I don't think anyone would ever question the impact that The Brewing Network has had on the brewing community. It has done far more then just provide a medium to learn about brewing. It has taken all the different brew clubs out their and the individuals that brew without affiliation and turned us into a large brewing community and provided a mechinism for exchange of friendship, laughter, and great beer.

Please don't mistake what anyone is saying here. I think you would be hard pressed to find a member either those for the current club of the year award implementation or those who oppose it, that would say the BN has not had a pronouned, positive effect on the brewing community.