WABL, the Washington beer fan club, has been suspended for now

Some of you are members of WABL (Washinton Beer Lovers). For over 15 years the Washington Beer Commission has supported the official Washington Beer fan club, offering dedicated beer lovers special perks at festivals, rewards for visiting breweries, and more. It was recently announced that the Commission is putting WABL on hold, at least for the time being. The future is uncertain.

The suspension of WABL is not a statement about the status of the industry in Washington. This is related to nothing except the organization that operates WABL. This development appertains to other recent developments at the Washington Beer Commission, which is news I will share in the coming days.

Among other things, like WABL, The Washington Beer Commission is responsible for operating the big, WA-focused beer festivals around the state (Washington Brewers Festival, Washington Winter Beer Festival, Inland Northwest Beer Festival, Bremerton Summer Beerfest, and others).

The announcement sent out last week to WABL members said, “We are saddened to announce that the Washington Beer Lover Fan Club (WABL), supported by the Washington Beer Commission (WBC) will be suspended at least through May of 2023. It has been an extraordinary 15+ years of growing this club along with the unprecedented growth of the craft beer industry in our state.”

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“The WBC, funded solely by the proceeds raised at its tasting festivals around the state, was able to keep the lights on during the 20-month event hiatus but a rainy Washington Brewers Festival in June 2022 and a decline in overall attendance at events this past summer has created the need to pare things back.”

“We cannot thank you enough for your support of Washington Beer whether you are a new member or have been with us for more than a decade. Please continue to use the Washington Beer mobile app to locate your nearby breweries and to get brewery information. We hope to see you out there.”

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