Newsletters
State Of The Association – August 2026
Yo Everyone! Hope you are having a good summer.
July was our biggest month to date! We added 269 new members and two new Chapters, bringing us to eight Chapters total! We now have 434 members involved in Chapters across the country and 3,475 total BDOA members.
We also celebrated our second birthday on July 24. We hosted a virtual meetup where we hung out and played a couple games for prizes. Thank you to everyone that came to celebrate, it was a lot of fun talking to members from the very beginning and members that just joined.
Members from around the country submitted photos for our 250 challenge to be featured on a poster that we will be giving away and selling. It was a great way to create a commemorative poster that brings our members to life and features them for all of BDOA to see!
We’re launching a new member-led committee to help shape the future of Beer Drinkers of America! Marquale (#2,107) of Texas will be leading the group as members come together to share feedback, develop new ideas and help bring those ideas to life. If you’re open-minded, enjoy working as a team and want to have a bigger role in BDOA, reach out to Marquale on Facebook or Instagram!
Finally, Tyler P. #928 was announced as our National VP! Tyler has already provided much-needed support for our members and Chapters by helping us create a better structure for meetups, activities and communication. He has also been working directly with our Chapter leaders to help them recruit new members, stay organized and build stronger local communities. Let’s all give Tyler some recognition and love when you see him or talk to him next!
Our Chapters were also busy last month with meetups happening across the country! Mike of Minnesota brought his members together for a brewery meetup, while Gerry and the Los Angeles Chapter went on a group bike ride and hosted a brewery meetup. Benji held a brewery meetup for the San Jose Chapter and even livestreamed it for everyone to follow along. Ilene brought the Charleston Chapter together for a local meetup and is now working on a group baseball game for this month.
It’s been great seeing our Chapter leaders create new ways for members to get together, drink some beer and build their local BDOA communities!
As for me, I played in a 3×3 basketball tournament called the Hoopla here in Salem, OR – which is a two day tournament that brings hundreds of teams together to compete. It’s always a blast to see old friends and reconnect after so long, many of whom I haven’t seen since high school and my childhood.
Sadly both of my teams lost in the semifinals. So I wasn’t able to take any hardware home, but I did get a black eye so at least I got something, right?
As always, here to chat, answer questions, and help out anyway I can. Make sure to reach out to me directly if you need anything: hayden@beerdrinkersofamerica.org
Now on to some updates, upcoming events, and member voices.
BDOA Updates:
- Member Count: 3,475
- New Members in July: 269
- Biggest State: California – [NUMBER] members
- Smallest State: Delaware and South Dakota – 5 total members each
- Chapters: Eight — Salem, OR; Huntington, WV; Shelby Township, MI; Cannon Falls, MN; Los Angeles, CA; Charleston, SC; San Jose, CA; and the Tri-State area of WV.
- Discord Count: 489 – Join the member-only Discord here
Upcoming Events:
- Event: Beer Mile
- Date: Throughout August
- Location: Virtual Submission
- Event Info: Take on the BDOA Beer Mile anytime during August and submit your attempt from wherever you are! All entries must include clear video evidence of the full challenge to qualify. This competition is open to members ages 21 and older—participate responsibly and send in your video before the end of the month. More info here.
- Event: All Member Virtual Meeting
- Date: Friday August 14
- Time: 5pm PST (8 pm EST)
- Link to Join: Virtual Google Meet Link
Member Voices:
Below are unedited messages submitted by BDOA Members. This section is for shoutouts, stories, Chapter updates, meetups, beer trips, ideas, and anything else members want to share with the Association.
- Julio D. Rodriguez #1,542 – RI
For the month of August I’ll be at a few different states if anyone wants to grab a beer!
– NJ 8/1 – 8/3 (could also do parts of PA and NY)
– Columbus, Ohio 8/6 – 8/10
– RI 8/11 (could also do parts of MA and CT)
– NJ 8/13 – 8/16 (could also do parts of PA and NY)
Lastly, GO NEW YORK GO NEW YORK GO! Still on a high from that championship. Gave me some false hope for my J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!
Email: NYKnicks1501@yahoo.com - Sean L. #3163 – TX
I think it would be cool if you sold challenge coins. Would be a great conversation starter and opportunity to meet fellow members - Tyler Phipps #928 – KY
Gerry B. #1,816: I feel like he’s really stepped up this month. He’s been super receptive to the changes. Is always positive and has nothing but the best interest in mind for his chapter and the whole group. I’ve seen him grow as a leader as well as beginning to open up and become more social within the organization itself and I couldn’t be more proud of this guy. Can’t wait to see what else the future holds for him within BDOA! - Tyler Phipps #928 – KY
Marquale P. #2,107: This guy is a powerhouse, very positive and community driven. He’s not afraid to come at you with a challenge or plenty of ideas with the means to set those ideas in motion. Not only is he here for the long run but he’s doing it all without a chapter and while starting his own business. He also just took on beer thinkers of America and I can’t wait to see what that prospers into! - Hayden R. #001 – OR
I want to show some love to Ry Cannon #143 from North Carolina. He comes to all of our virtual get-togethers and is always warm and inviting. He gets everyone excited during the video calls and always has a smile on his face that is contagious and makes everyone feel welcome. He also seems to have a new animal joining him during every call and always makes sure to introduce them to the group.
Ry has been involved since the beginning and continues to bring the love, good times and beer to the organization. So here’s to the guy with the grossest and most memorable membership card in BDOA! Cheers, buddy, and thank you!
Closing Remarks:
We’re now at 3,475 members across the country, with 269 new members joining us in July alone. Between the new Chapters, member meetups, virtual events and everyone who participated in the poster challenge, this community continues to grow and become more active every month.
For August, I want everyone to find at least one way to get involved. Take part in the Beer Mile, join the Discord, attend a Chapter meetup, invite a friend to become a member or simply send us a photo of you enjoying a beer with your BDOA card. Every little bit of participation helps bring this community to life.
Our goal for August is to reach 3,800 total members. That means we need 325 new members this month, and I know we can make it happen!
Let’s keep growing, meeting new people, drinking some beers and building this community together.
That’s all for this month! Thank you all for your continued support, for sending in your photos and for bringing BDOA and me into your lives. It has been amazing getting to know so many of you.
Cheers!
Hayden R.
#001