Beers Rotarians Enjoy Worldwide Fellowship

PICTURED: A large gathering of BREW members at Hamburg University during the 2019 RI Convention in Hamburg, Germany.

By Brian Coffey
BREW Director – South Pacific

If you’ve ever wondered who the people are walking around RI Conventions in bright yellow shirts covered in bubbles, they are BREW members.

Founded in 2013 and launched at the 2014 RI Convention in Sydney, NSW, the Beers Rotarians Enjoy Worldwide (BREW) Fellowship is an officially recognised Rotary fellowship, created for Rotarians around the world who love to drink and make beer. BREW is not just about raising glasses; we’re about raising impact!

The purpose of this fellowship is to foster and encourage fellowship between Rotarians while supporting international projects of The Rotary Foundation. BREW has formally partnered with WASHRAG (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Rotary Action Group), supporting their project expertise and dedication to providing access to clean water – since water is the primary ingredient in beer!

BREW donates 25 per cent of its annual membership revenue to WASHRAG every year at the RI Convention.

The Board of BREW has nine members, chaired by Moses Aryee from Ghana, serving the 1,550 lifetime members in 59 countries. There are two female directors, with a nomination from a female for one of the vacant positions.

Records indicate Australia has 89 BREW members and 17 in New Zealand.

District 9660 has the only BREW Chapter.

PICTURED: Members of the D9660 BREW Chapter from six clubs gather at Murrays Brewery in Port Stephens for lunch

PICTURED: Rob Foran, of the Rotary Club of Echuca, Vic, receives his BREW Life Membership badge at the Melbourne Convention from then District Governor Kevin Stevens from Chicago, US.

With a following of nearly 6,000 Facebook members, BREW is very active on social media, hosting well attended international events and fun information sessions via Zoom. A highlight of all RI Conventions is the BREW/WASHRAG events, which generally sell out quickly.

At the Melbourne RI Convention in 2023, I organised three different events to cope with the demand – a river tour, a walking tour and a sit down dinner. In 2026, I will organise a Friday night BREW social for the combined D9660/D9685 Conference in Newcastle, NSW. These events seem to be an increasing part of Rotary Conferences.

Life Membership of BREW is US$100, providing you with our new brand correct membership pin, the ‘What’s Brewing’ newsletter each quarter, early information on the Convention party tickets and a $25 donation to WASHRAG. You can also purchase the new branding approved shirts.
Join us, connect with beer-loving Rotarians worldwide, and let’s brew good together!

PICTURED: A group of international Rotarians relaxing after a guided pub crawl during the 2023 Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, Vic.

For more information, visit rotarybrew.org