So how did a group of home brewers get together and form the Umpqua Valley Brewers Guild (UVBG)? That’s a good question!
UVBG Timeline update (so far…):
In February of 2007, Keith Karaglonian relocated to Roseburg from out east. Keith was in search of like minded locals interested in meeting and sharing the hobby of homebrewing. Keith placed an ad in the local newspaper and a handful of homebrew enthusiasts began meeting at each other’s homes to share their latest brews, swap stories, recipes, techniques, and equipment ideas.
At the time, there was a vibrant craft beer scene in Oregon, but only McMenamin’s Brewery here in Roseburg. The original group of home brewers responding to Keith’s ad decided there was a need to form a more permanent/formal club to sate their minds and palates. Several commercial breweries & brew pubs opened in the following years…many of those entrepreneurs started as members of the club. In late 2007, the Umpqua Valley Brewers Guild (UVBG) was formally created and members continue meeting monthly to share brewing knowledge and their newest brews.
True to the original intent of the founding members, the UVBG strives to foster a spirit of camaraderie centered around the creation of beer, wine, cider, mead and other tasty delights through the wonderous process of fermentation.
Here’s a basic timeline/history of our club:
2007 – group formed and started the process of selecting a name & logo. Diane Griffin used her computer skills to create the logo and with the help of others in the club a viable structure and guidelines was created and accepted by the group. Eventually Teach * Learn * Brew * Enjoy became the accepted moto for the fledgling UVBG.
2011 – Umpqua Valley Brewers Guild registered an Internet presence with the website http://UmpquaValleyBrewersGuild.com
2014 – At a group gathering with the Hellgate Homebrewers club, the concept of a yearly festival of sorts was conceived. It would become known as the Rendezvous with the first evening hosting a special event named Sexy Beer night. This was intended as a sharing and rating of relatively unknown beers brought in by those attending. Sexy Beer night no longer votes on the best “unknown” beer, but it remains a tradition to share tastes of unusual beers.
2015 – First Rendezvous event held at the Roseburg Rod & Gun Club
2017 – Bylaws written, reviewed by membership, and voted into effect
2023 – Bylaws updated, a Mission Statement added and after a review by the membership, voted into effect.
There were 3 update revisions to the bylaws approved by the membership at the March 2025 meeting. The three updates were 1) a dues payment date change from February 15th to the February meeting; 2) clarification of what a new member receives…name badge, access to bylaws, & access to club business cards; and 3) added option for vote by show of hands in case of single applicant for BOD position.
2026 – At last year’s Rendezvous, Hellgate Homebrewers offered to start sharing the Rendezvous costs and hosting. That agreement was confirmed this year and Mike had the Rendezvous Opener created to celebrate the partnership and appreciation of our sponsors. Four brew clubs gathered for a fun filled time of friendly beer, wine, and specialty beverages along with entertainment and lots of fabulous food. Over 30 beers were offered to taste along with a table full of wines and the specialties. We also had the Beverage Hunters YouTube group stay with us all day Saturday to taste beverages and document this unique event.
Organizational Updates:
Here’s the current, 2023 Bylaws document with March 2025 updates.