A few posts ago, I excitedly gave you, the craft beer fan, info on a little fest between the L.A. Galaxy and the L.A. County’s Brewers Guild.
Fast forward to today, when I get an e-mail from our local craft beer leader, Frances Lopez with this……
“Due to some unfortunate circumstances beyond our control, the Los Angeles County Brewers Guild has decided to withdraw from the previously scheduled Cheers & Beers event which was to take place at the StubHub Center on May 6th. While we appreciate the generosity of the teams at both the L.A. Galaxy and Levy Concessions and their efforts to make this dream event a reality, new requirements to include brands that do not meet our Guild’s definition of “craft beer” have unfortunately caused us to pull the event which would have featured over 15 small and independently-owned L.A. Brewers. The event’s goal was to showcase our brewers, fund raise for our 501(c)(6) nonprofit, and support our local MLS team. We worked on every logistical detail with their team and were excited to bring this event into fruition for beer and soccer fans alike. This “craft vs. crafty” road block however, was non-negotiable.
It is a very volatile time for craft breweries these days with increased M&A activity, unfair trade practices, and a bevy of hardships upon our many small business owners. Despite it all however, the Los Angeles County Brewers Guild aims to uphold our mission to advocate for our local independent breweries. We strive to nurture our community; bringing our brewery members, allies, and affiliates together to create the kind of world-class beer culture Los Angeles deserves. Our Guild does not take our core values lightly and we refuse to bend our ideals and compromise the integrity of our organization.
In an ideal world, venues large and small would throw their support around local brands. We are working very hard to bring that narrative to the table so that the community that we all care so much about can thrive. We take great inspiration from our neighbors in areas like San Diego, Portland, and Denver who have helped move the needle in terms of supporting local breweries and the unique and amazing culture they bring. While the cancellation of this event may feel like a set back, we hope that you, our dear craft beer supporter, will help us fight the good fight by continuing to support your local breweries and tasting rooms, attending events, and asking your favorite bars, stores, and restaurants for #labeer.
We sincerely apologize to any supporters who planned on attending this event and to our brewery members who were scheduled to participate. In the meanwhile, our Guild will be focused on bringing you an epic L.A. Beer Week to celebrate our 60+ independent craft breweries in Los Angeles County and the hundreds of craft brewers from all over the world who support and share beer within our region.”
So, SABInBev played their sponsorship card knowing that they would win no matter what. They would get to either pour their industrial corn pop water alongside actual beer or the event would be cancelled.
Thankfully, this blog does not have to be diplomatic. I could suggest to boycott Bud/Golden Road beer purchases at StubHub without any need to sugarcoat a shitty power play. I could suggest that people pour Golden Road 329 Lager into a toilet on March 29th despite what it would do to the porcelain.
But what I really suggest is for you to keep buying craft beer and the best way is to go to a L.A. County Brewers Guild member brewery taproom while the Galaxy are playing on May 6th and make sure that you comment on social media that you are NOT at the game, that you have chosen to spend your hard-earned money at a local business instead.
L.A. stands with Oakland and Sacramento!