THE GIST
More than a month after the beer industry began grappling with the outpouring of stories of sexual misconduct, assault, and harassment that surfaced on Instagram, some groups are trying to keep the public’s focus on this issue—and are upping the pressure on breweries named in the allegations. On the morning of June 12, an anonymous group launched a protest in the form of an art installation outside the Copenhagen headquarters of Mikkeller brewery, a company that also operates a brewery location in San Diego and operates bars across the world. The group erected posters that accuse the company of sexism and racism, claims that have also arisen in stories shared on social media in recent weeks. Organizers say the posters remained up for about six hours before someone (who they believe is a Mikkeller employee) removed them.
In an unsigned email to GBH, sent from a Danish account called mikkellerbeer.protest, the organizers say they want to remain anonymous as they fear retaliation from Mikkeller. They direct the public to an Instagram account, @mikkellerbeer.protest, on which they have posted more information.
“We have installed this work to remind Mikkeller of their responsibility to the communities they have offended and refused to apologise or offer reparations to over the last number of years,” the group said in a written statement provided to GBH. “This art is a reminder of that, and a demand of much more from a company with more than enough resources to give it.”
In a statement, Perneille Pang, Mikkeller’s head of press, says that “[b]ecause we have not received any concrete criticism in relation to this protest we are not sure what specifically we are being critisesed [sic] for.” Pang adds that the company knows that “we have two labels (out of several thousands) that have received criticism earlier.” Pang notes those beers are Female and Mexas Ranger.
Organizers call on companies and individual drinkers to boycott Mikkeller until its leaders “engage with the public discourse and make broad, lasting and transparent changes.”
WHY IT MATTERS
This protest is the latest organized, grassroots effort to keep cultural and business issues in the beer industry front of mind at a time when they risk being lost amid a busy news cycle.
In an artist’s statement sent to GBH, the creators of the Mikkeller protest installation say, in part: “With this artwork, we invite you, the audience, to ask the question: Is it right that Mikkeller have not taken responsibility, apologized, or paid reparations to the communities they have hurt?”
Pang says otherwise, adding that “Mikkeller has always supported and worked to promote diversity, inclusion and equality and have a lot of focus on this in our organisation,” citing work with the deaf, a beer whose proceeds supported Syrian refugee children in Lebanon, a “social beer shop” run by people with autism, and more.
“We are not flawless, but would never intentionally make a label or anything else that would work against these values, and we seek to correct our mistakes,” she says. Pang emphasized that anyone can reach out to request to talk to anyone in the company on any topic. "We are friendly people, and we like to have conversations about anything related to Mikkeller and the beer industry," Pang says.
However, critics of Mikkeller and other companies say it’s not that simple, which is why they’re working to keep these issues in the spotlight. The Mikkeller installation follows an open letter from more than 50 current and former employees of U.K.-based brewery BrewDog, published June 9, which describes a workplace environment characterized by fear of harassment, belittling, and assault. Calling themselves “Punks With Purpose,” they call on company leaders to make a “genuine apology” and commit to “meaningful change.” In a Twitter response, BrewDog CEO James Watt wrote, in part: “We are committed to doing better, not just as a reaction to this, but always; and we are going to reach out to our entire team past and present to learn more. But most of all, right now, we are sorry.” (In an email sent to current employees, Watt invited BrewDog staff to sign a different letter in response to Punks With Purpose.) Punks With Purpose has since responded to Watt’s statement.
The back-and-forth continues because of the unique public perception each company has curated. BrewDog and Mikkeller are targets of criticism not just because of their alleged misdeeds, but because both breweries have expanded across the globe in large part due to outreach, marketing, and their publicizing ideas of unique company culture. Casting themselves as rebels (BrewDog) or as jet-setting and well-connected cool kids (Mikkeller), both breweries have placed their founders’ attitudes and identities at the center of their marketing efforts. Mikkeller, through its events and festivals, is an arbiter of taste, especially in the European beer world, and BrewDog has used its scrappy underdog personality to crowdfund millions of dollars from investors across the world. As well-recognized international brands, both companies are being treated as bellwethers for broader change in the industry.
So while the stories shared about BrewDog and Mikkeller share similarities with beer’s broader #MeToo outpouring, each has unique components. For BrewDog, criticism has focused on what the open letter calls a “cult of personality” created by company founders James Watt and Martin Dickie, which obscured a hostile workplace and was deliberately used to shirk criticism. For Mikkeller, criticism has focused on claims of gender-based harassment and racist and sexist marketing practices.
The statement the Mikkeller protest organizers provided to GBH says that Mikkeller continues to “profit from beer with racist and sexist labels,” for which the group says the brewery has not adequately apologized. The statement cites the label for Kihoskh Brown Braids Ale, which features a cartoon of a Black woman on its label; the label for Mexas Ranger, which shows two cartoon people running, a gun, and the text “Crossing The Border;” and a beer called Female, which Mikkeller launched—to much criticism—in 2018, with one critic saying the beer “essentially objectifies women into two basic (hair-based) classifications.”
Danish newspaper Berlingske reports Mikkeller has also received complaints of a “poor working environment.” The newspaper says women who were employed by Mikkeller San Diego have resigned in recent years due to what they say were inappropriate workplace behaviors; CEO Kenneth Madsen confirmed this to the paper, but the company has subsequently made a great effort to correct the situation by replacing some managers and implementing stronger staff guidelines.
Yet Mikkeller has taken a more defensive tone elsewhere. In a June 10 post to the private Facebook group Mikkeller Beer Club, Mikkeller wrote, in part: “A few of you have addressed the issue of equality and harassment in the beer industry … Some have raised questions and concerns about Mikkeller’s role in all of this, with links and posts—and things taken out of context—painting a picture of Mikkeller, which is very far from who we are and our values.” (Screenshots of this post were shared with GBH by a member of the Facebook group.)
Pang says that Mikkeller hired an external consultant in early 2021 to update the staff handbook and policies concerning diversity and equality “to make sure our policies in these areas are clear and transparent and to find ways to strengthen and promote diversity and equality within our organization.” Staff can also sign up for training on these areas. A new internal reporting system is also updated, so any unacceptable behavior can be shared anonymously.
This defense is part of the problem, say Mikkeller’s critics. The protest organizers’ statement accuses the company’s public statements of not matching its actions: “If all this is ‘not who your company is,’ then prove it.”
As pressure builds for Mikkeller and BrewDog, new allegations of harassment, gender-based discrimination, and hostile work environments continue to spread online. Last month, it was Brienne Allen, production manager at Salem Massachusetts-based Notch Brewing, who initially became the microphone for sharing other people’s stories. Recently, other accounts, including @emboldenactadvance and @britishbeergirl (Siobhan Buchanan) have taken up the mantle.
While people continue to share their stories, many in the industry are turning their attention to what actions can be taken to respond to such a significant moment. Groups have organized workshops: Burum Collective, a U.K.-based drinks industry network, held an online conference June 7 to discuss next steps for the industry, including drafting policies and highlighting areas of improvement for bars, breweries, and the alcohol supply chain. And consulting firm and professional development platform Crafted For All held a “community-minded and solution-focused” working happy hour in May to address the #MeToo outpouring.
The past month has also seen legal and professional groups address the issue. Breweries, brewers guilds, and event organizers have updated or developed codes of conduct. The Brewers Association is hosting a three-part webinar series for its members on preventing sexual harassment. National Injury Help, a law firm specializing in personal injury and mass tort law, launched brewproblems.com, a website where beer industry employees can submit a claim for confidential legal review. Safe Bars, Craft Beer Professionals, Lady Justice Brewing, and Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions launched P.A.C.T. Pale Ale, a collaboration beer initiative that required participating breweries to make tangible commitments to prevent sexual harassment and discrimination.
Central to all of these efforts is keeping the issue of harassment and discrimination in the beer industry in the spotlight. Groups and individuals pushing for reform say that they’ll be relentless in their efforts until companies and people own up to past mistakes, and pledge accountable paths forward.
“The days of getting away with it in F&B [food and beverage] are over, @mikkellerbeer,” wrote Hand & Heart, a hospitality industry business consulting, education and development firm, in a June 4 Instagram post. “For those who are exhausted and tired—keep digging, and finding respite where you can. We won't stop, until they do.”
Words by Kate Bernot