OUR HISTORY!

The Seven City Brewers homebrew club was originally titled "Beer and Ale Research Foundation" which was chartered in 2005. The original twelve members were Rob Kirkpatrick, Mike R. Bruner, Mike Pensinger (owner of Homebrew USA, 2003-2007), Bill Berry, Terry Wharton, Cory Petiford, Skip Sharp, Elijah Roberts, Timothy Hobbs, John P. Messier, "Big Rob," and Dan Tully. Several were previous members of the Hampton Roads Brewing and Tasting Society (HRBTS).

   So how did the name "BARF" happen? During one of the earliest club meetings, one member wrote "Beer and Ale Research Foundation (BARF)" on the brainstorming list. When the votes were counted, it won 19 to 1.

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   BARF was always about the technical side of brewing. The whole point was to share knowledge, try new things, and help every member get better. The club worked toward that through three main goals:

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• Internal Competitions - Pushing brewers to try different styles, techniques, and ingredients.

• Themed Brews - Picking a specific ingredient, like a local fruit, spice, or unusual adjunct, and challenging members to build a recipe around it.

• Continued Education - Honest feedback, quality brewing, and sharing what you know with the people around you.

   By 2013, the club had grown far beyond its original core. Members were coming from Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News. The name "Seven City Brewers" better reflected the club's composition. 

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   The founding spirit was not forgotten, though. What BARF started, Seven City Brewers carries forward.  A look at the timeline:

• 2005 - Founded as BARF. Small group, serious about brewing.

• 2005-2013 - Club grew, competitions expanded, regional presence built up.

• 2013 - Rebranded as Seven City Brewers to reflect the full Hampton Roads membership.

• 2013-Present - Active in local, regional, and national competitions, monthly education sessions, and the broader brewing community.

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"Never to forget those twelve homebrewers that came before us."