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» » » Diversity, Equity, and InclusionThe time is now. Diversity and equality is essential in our industry. Let’s all take the lead and make it happen.
It’s been almost two years since our eyes were opened to some of the toxic behaviors common in brewing culture. While awareness was the first step in building a new culture, we still have work to do to take care of one another and heal. Fortunately, you (the people who work in the industry) are positioned to make that happen!
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New Belgium Brewing and Bell’s Brewery appointed a director of diversity, equity and inclusion who will work for both breweries. Courtney Simmons will serve as the newly combined company’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
New Belgium Brewing and Bell’s Brewery are now both subsidiaries of the craft beverage division of Australian food and drink company Lion, which is owned by Japan’s Kirin. Bell’s sold to Lion last November and New Belgium sold in fall of 2019.
The two breweries now include 1,300 employees across four states.
“Cause and Effect: Re-diversifying American Brewing” Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery/Michael Jackson Foundation for Brewing & Distilling.
A note from ProBrewer founders, Pat Hagerman and Mark Silva
Two weeks ago we launched theMJF $100,000 matching grant challenge by Brooklyn Brewery on ProBrewer. In this post we:
Progress and Goals
The Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling (MJF) is teaming up with ProBrewer to drive a $100,000 matching fundraising challenge by Brooklyn Brewery that will launch today and culminate May 2nd at the THRIVE sessions for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion during the Craft Brewers Conference.
Every dollar donated up to $100,000 will be matched by a generous grant by The Brooklyn Brewery, creating the opportunity to raise over $200,000 in the next month for brewing industry inclusivity.
The MJF is a grant-making organization that funds scholarship awards to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) within the brewing and distilling trades. The program is open to candidates at the beginning of their careers, as well as those looking to continue their education. The MJF awards present an opportunity for members and patrons of the brewing and distilling industries to directly fund a more just, equitable, and dynamic future.
Writer Emma Wargolet has compiled a list of women-owned breweries across the United States. The list was put together with the help of PorchDrinking writers, Colorado Brewery List, the Pink Boots Society, various Hop Culture articles, and a diverse breweries database created by Jeff Alworth.
The list includes over 200 breweries broken down by region.
“Despite the idyllic notion that craft beer is an incredible industry founded on collaboration and camaraderie, last year’s reckoning ignited by Brienne Allan’s work showcased that sexism is a rampant issue in beer that has often been swept under a rug for far too long,” explained Wargolet.
A great discussion between Collin McDonnell from Henhouse, Shyla Sheppard from Bow & Arrow Brewing Company, and Teo Hunter of Crown & Hops Brewing Company that envisions the beer future that’s more diversified and inclusive.
At least nine breweries have announced they will not attend the upcoming Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen (MBCC) festival later this month in response to accounts of sexual harassment, discrimination, and bullying that several former Mikkeller employees allege occurred at the company, according to a story in Good Beer Hunting.
Mikkeller issued a statement on their Instagram account where they listed four actions the company is taking to ensure a “safe and inclusive workplace.
The well-known international event is slated for October 22nd.
The Brewers Association recently completed an updated demographic audit of brewery owners based on a survey of 500 randomly selected breweries selected by the BA. The results showed that brewery owners are 93.5% white and 23.7% of brewery owners were female, while 75.6% were male.
“The American beverage alcohol consumer is increasingly BIPOC and female,” said Bart Watson, Chief Economist for the Brewers Association. “That shift is ongoing and will likely continue going forward. For example, female drinkers under 25 now outnumber male drinkers under 25. So for craft to continue growing and moving more in the larger beer and beverage alcohol consumer market, it will need to connect better with that diverse customer base. While there’s nothing that says white and male owned businesses can’t connect with that more diverse customer base, it’s going to require additional work in building diverse organizations and shoring up blind spots.”
See the full summery of the survey here.
A newly established partnership between Revolver Brewing Company and the Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Food Science and Technology will help minority and underrepresented students pursue careers in the brewing industry.
The scholarship is intended to attract students from Texas and out of state to study brewing and fermentation science at Texas A&M with the objective is to alleviate financial, racial, gender and social-background barriers so more students can further their careers in the brewing industry.
Funds from the endowment will provide up to two scholarships annually. Each recipient will receive $2,500 and can apply for a summer internship at Revolver Brewing.
The American Society of Brewing Chemists, Brewers Association, Cicerone Certification Program, Master Brewers Association of the Americas, and the Pink Boots Society (PBS) have come together to form the Brewing Respect and Unity Coalition (BRU) with the objective to drive industry-wide adoption of best practices for preventing discrimination, harassment, and violence within the brewing industry.
The announcement was made this morning by Brewers Association (BA) president and CEO Bob Pease at the Craft Brewers Conference opening session.
The BRU Coalition aims to drive change by “adopting an industry-wide set of best practices that are proven to reduce harassment, discrimination, and violence,” and “compiling and sharing tools and resources that enable industry members to adopt best practices,” according to a press release.
The New York City Brewers Guild has revoked the membership of a member brewery over allegations that “directly contradict the core values and mission of the New York City Brewers Guild.”
According to an article in Brewbound, allegations of sexual assault were posted on social media against Gage Siegel, the co-founder of Non Sequitur Beer Project.
“In order to ensure a safe space for our guests, members and community at large, the Guild; and they will not be participating in any upcoming Guild sponsored events, meetings or collaborations,” the Guild posted on Instagram.
Massachusetts brewer Brienne Allan, who helped initiate the #MeToo movement in the craft brewing industry, is spearheading a collaboration beer called Brave Noise pale ale.
Similar to other cause-related collaboration beers such as Black is Beautiful, Resilience IPA and Sonoma Pride, breweries that make the beer are asked to donate the majority of proceeds to a verified non-profit organization that works on issues like sexual harassment and diversity training.
Full story here.
The following is the fourth and final article written by Tara Nurin exclusively for ProBrewer. Visit the ProBrewer Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion resource page for additional DEI articles and resources.
To grossly understate the situation, it’s a tough time to own a craft brewery in the United States. In addition to the usual playbook of challenges, over the past few years you brewery owners have had to negotiate: the rising cost of inputs; tariffs on aluminum and steel; declining sales growth in the sector; shifting expectations/demands around inclusivity; the question of whether your company will have to defend itself against any accusations of sexual impropriety or abusive practices; a deep labor shortage; and all the other issues related to COVID.
Though you and your business partners are the ones forced to directly shoulder the financial burden of navigating these unexpected twists and turns, your employees feel them too, perhaps just as deeply. Some of these hardships impact them acutely — say, for instance, if the pandemic robbed them of their livelihoods then the labor shortage required them to work in overdrive to overcome scant staffing — while the stress from others may trickle down from top management and spread through the ranks to create a pervasive sense of exhaustion and dread.
The following is the third in a series of four articles written by Tara Nurin exclusively for ProBrewer. Visit the ProBrewer Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion resource page for additional DEI articles and resources.
What word first jumps to mind when you hear the term “human resources?” What comes next? How about after that? Chances are, you associated “human resources” with concepts rooted in hiring, payroll, benefits, training, workplace policies, diversity, harassment, discrimination, labor laws, vacation, team-building … and the list goes on.
These responsibilities require a keen aptitude for multi-tasking and a vast variety of skill sets. If you’ve saddled one person in your brewery — whether it’s an official HR rep, a random manager or even yourself — with all of this, you’re truly asking a lot of that person. Now consider the fact that a brewery may have multiple locations across multiple states or countries, as well as restaurants that support myriad dissimilar positions, and you’re really starting to feel bad for these HR pros, aren’t you?
The second webinar in a three-part session offered by the Brewer’s Association will explore how preventing sexual harassment starts with having a conversation about what it means to be an ally in the workplace. The session will dive into what “counts” as sexual harassment, examples of how it can show up, and most importantly what we can do and say when we experience or witness harassing behavior.
The speaker is Nikki Larchar, SHRM-CP, co-author of a sexual harassment prevention comic book and the co-founder of Define the Line, a company that is on a mission to eliminate workplace sexual harassment by empowering employees to speak up for themselves and each other.
Part 2 in the series takes place June 24th, 10:00am- 11:00am PT. For more information and to register go here.
The following is the second in a series of four articles written by Tara Nurin exclusively for ProBrewer. Visit the ProBrewer Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion resource page here for additional DEI articles and resources.
Writing a code of conduct for your business is easier than you think. Thanks to the ready availability of free online guides, templates and examples, you can probably draft a decent one in just a few hours.
It’s worth taking the time. A code of conduct comprises one of the most fundamental and effective ways for an employer to prevent discrimination, harassment and abusive behavior. By establishing clear standards and consequences, a strong code can eliminate confusion, discomfort, lost productivity, unnecessary turnover and costly lawsuits.
The following article was written by Tara Nurin exclusively for ProBrewer. Visit the ProBrewer Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion resource page here for additional DEI articles and resources.
When a Massachusetts brewer’s Instagram feed erupted with more than 1000 allegations of sexual and workplace discrimination, harassment and abuse in the beer industry in May 2021, some breweries and affiliated entities snapped into action. Others still haven’t acknowledged the situation.
Whether or not your business has been named in the narrative or you’ve already issued your own internal response, your employees are very likely carrying more stress than usual — particularly if they’re female or come from an underrepresented population — as they attempt to adjust to lives upended by the COVID-19 pandemic; the great racial reckoning of 2020; and, now, craft beer’s better-late-than-never #MeToo revolution. In public and private conversations, they’re crying out for your leadership, telling friends they crave your empathy, and, most importantly, begging for your assurance they can feel safe coming to work.
The recent accusations of widespread discrimination, sexual harassment and misconduct in the industry has sparked a varied reaction by craft brewing companies and industry representatives.
Many state guilds, brewing companies and industry representatives have made public statements outlining their support for industry workers and steps they are taking to support those who have faced misconduct in the past.
Most importantly, some members of the industry have laid out specific action items to help stem the tide of harassment going forward. The Brewers Association yesterday announced a three-part seminar on sexual harassment. Craft Brewing Business has further examples here of statements and actions made by industry members.
In light of recent conversations around sexual harassment and gender-based violence in the craft brewing community, the Brewers Association will host a three-part sexual harassment prevention webinar series for Brewers Association members and their employees. The seminars will be led by Nikki Larchar, co-founder of Define the Line.
Webinar attendees will learn what sexual harassment is and how it shows up in the craft brewing industry. With help from Define the Line, business leaders and community members will explore how to build harassment-free workplaces, what it means to go from bystander to ally, and the best practices and procedures to have in place to prevent harassment. Participants will craft an action plan and learn how to handle a complaint and what an investigation process looks like.
Founded in 2017, Define the Line has partnered with organizations to eliminate workplace sexual harassment through interactive training sessions and conversations about what it means to speak up, define your line, and create positive change.