I grew up in a town that had one brewery until the late 00s/early 10s. The food was okay but the beer tasted like rubbing alcohol. It was really fucking bad. The brewers were full of themselves and thought they had first mover advantage. A couple of new breweries opened up and things got way better. Suddenly the community was actually vibrant. A few more opened, a few closed, and that cycle started rolling. The overall quality of brewing improved drastically except at that shitty first brewery who constantly struggles to retain talent and compete (other than location which guarantees a steady supply of drunk businessmen who can’t tell good beer from shit beer).
Don’t limit your club. Stifling community will only harm the community. You don’t need to trade secrets; you should always trade ideas and be supportive.
