Category: Opinion

my humble and correct opinion

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Anti-Maskers

I am a relatively smart guy but this lockdown has made me feel like a goddam genius at least in comparison to some of the people in the US who I feel have a bag of hammers where their brains should be.

The main fuel for this rant / sermon are masks. I do not like wearing mine. I think the ear stretching caused by one led to a bout of vertigo. But you know what? I fucking wear it and am somehow able to go on with my life unimpeded.

Others, well, they get all “angry white person” when turned away from Wal-Mart, or when told they can’t have a family birthday party so they can infect grandma and grandpa or even visit a brewery. Or they descend upon a city council meeting and claim that masks are evil. Making all of the politicians wish they could crawl away.

I am going to lay this out quickly for you anti-maskers. Masks protect the rest of humanity from YOU. Not wearing a mask is basically telling everyone that you would not mind potentially killing someone. And not just one person but every person that person later meets. You may not have Covid19. Bully for you. But you might if enough people don’t wear masks.

So, put it on and then shut your hole about it. It could be a lot worse. You could be wearing a ventilator. Be a grown up. Don’t Share Your Air.

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The Firkin for June 2020

I have never been able to work a yo-yo but governors of states these days seem to be masters of it.

California Governor Gavin Newsom took away the bar opening rule practically minutes after giving it the OK. I will frame this by saying that I am totally down with the lockdown. We should totally be following the New Zealand model and we could be in stadiums watching sports by now. But we are in full yo-yo mode. Opening for Memorial Day, then reeling it back in after cases spike three weeks later.

I will also add that I am in no damn hurry to go back and sit in a bar or taproom but I do feel that I am being yanked around when I can go into a bottle shoppe for the first time in months and buy (after being temperature gunned) local beers. But the very next day, they had to shut.

If I, the customer felt yanked around, imagine the person who runs the store. They redesigned their store. Bought sanitizer. Stressed. Bought the damn temp guns to abide by the law. Now, they are shut again despite following all the rules. They spent time and money and it is now earning them nada.

Now, these places could just keep operating in the hope that enforcement is as up and down as the open and close orders, but why are we punishing the good actors, the ones who are serious about this process? Or I guess just go back into restaurant mode which is apparently A-OK because we all know forcing a food order makes the same space safer.

Here is what needs to happen. Pay people. Help people. We need masks on and social distancing but it can be done without destroying the entire economy or dicking small business owners. That means that the government has to not expect ANY taxes from all of the businesses that they are shutting down, then expecting to open after spending their own money, then shutting again.

We need clear rules and we need to hear sorry from the government for the screw ups. Otherwise, the dumb people are going to freak out. More on that in a day or two.

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Crushies – SoCal Winners

The Craft Beer Marketing Awards were held last week in a Zoom ceremony that was a little long and heavy on the word “congrats” and there’s was a little love for our extended area.

Third Window of a Santa Barbara won a runners-up “Gold” for Best Bottle Design in the 12oz, 12.7oz and 16.9oz category.

The Bruery also got Gold for their packaging design for the Hoarders Society.

Bigger winners, aka Platinum went to Calidad for website photography and video and El Segundo newcomer, Upshift Brewing also took top honors for their flight tray, that they dubbed the Moto Flight with the handlebar design.

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Stadium Brewed

Fun fact as the Premier League re-starts to empty seats is that Tottenham Hotspur have Beavertown Brewery actually brewing in their fancy stadium.

Currently, The Beavertown Tottenham Microbrewery and Taproom is closed but it shows that instead of just pouring a few doubly over priced local beers at sports venues, that you can actually integrate the innovators into the fabric of the space. And create possible opportunities for non event day business.

It will be interesting to see how the new SoFi Stadium utilizes Three Weavers into the American football landscape and if that encourages the Clippers with their building.

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Aftermath – Part 10

The NBA recently timelined their path to finishing the 2019/2020 season as well as draft and the 2020/2021 season. MLS is on the path back as well with the NFL still sitting with starting their season as planned.

But fans. They will be at home for some time. Either by the rules of the respective leagues or from fear. How is that gonna change the might combination of beer and sports? Well any company that has a significant percentage of business with sports stadiums is gonna lose that. That is mostly the big players. But they may be able to recoup part of that with branded packaged beer. KC Chiefs logo on Bud Light being one.

But the reduction in sales is going to extend to sports bars as well where seating capacity is now reduced and in L.A. food purchases are oddly required. Both of which will reduce beer sales. And that is before we even talk about unemployment.

Personally, I would have scratched the NBA, MLS and MLB seasons and waited until fall. The seasons were already compromised statistically and will be forever marked by asterisks. And without ticket sales, finances were going to suck anyway.

I do see a major concession surge though when the first fan filled games begin.

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3 Good Signs

Just wanted to pass on some good beer news…

  1. Enegren Brewing has installed new tanks
  2. Highland Park Brewing and Smog City are both hiring
  3. Taprooms are re-opening

May not seem like much but considering 2020, we should take these wins.

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No I in Beer

Though I am nowhere near a fan of country music and this Brad Paisley song is a little too on the nose….

…I do appreciate that the singer went all in to celebrate two friends who just want to have a beer together, by buying a stores worth of beer for them.

Some good news, indeed.

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Next

What can we do? Many people of privilege (that includes me) are trying to answer that question. Because posting on social media that you support taking down systemic racism brick by brick, is just one small step, there needs to be an AND.

I have a few ideas that I think will remove a brick or two and if we all each remove a brick or two, maybe, maybe we can affect change.

  1. Hiring – there needs to be a concerted and sustained push to get minorities into the brewhouse. Internships, learning a trade, summer work. Use any way (government program, school program, others) that will get a representative of the community workforce.
  2. Incubator – opening a brewery is costly. It is a large barrier to entry. There needs to be co-brewing spaces that allow Black, Latino, Asian, Women, LGBTQ and others to enter and create their own business.
  3. Seeing – I dare a hot brewery that can sell their hot new IPA or pastry stout to put conditions on those sales. Maybe you have to take a tour of historic landmarks of racism AND to those people and places that are making a difference. Get people out of their comfort zone and put their eyes on a world they probably do not see.

Those are bigger plays but for the average beer consumer, you can still vote with your dollar. Buy and talk about beers from minority owned businesses. Buy and talk about any Black owned brewery in your city. In Los Angeles, Crowns and Hops are in the process of their taproom and brewery. On the flip side, any brewery that espouses hatred should not be purchased.

We need to make our corner of the world better.

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Aftermath – Part 9

It is not too often that folks will openly let you know that their establishment is not safe. But everything is bigger in Texas, including hubris.

But this post is not about knowing that this bar will soon be on the news as a virus hotbed. It is about the smaller signs to look for when going to a bar or taproom.

A. Tables should either be removed or blocked from use.

B. Doors should be open to avoid contact.

C. Windows should be open to avoid recirculating air.

D. You should see hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies around and being used.

E. There should be a restricted amount of people inside.

F. Masks should be on

Here is a way simple analogy. You do not go to a car dealership and ask for a car with either seatbelts, airbags or anti-lock brakes. There is no OR, it is AND. Same with virus safety. A mask and six feet is safer than just a mask. That is why you need to look and see first before sitting down.