In May, mass allegations of gender discrimination, racism, sexual harassment and assault within the beer industry made headlines when professional brewer Brienne Allan posed a question via her Instagram account (@ratmagnet): “Have you experienced sexism in the beer industry?” In the wake of widespread calls for improvement within the industry, a group of like-minded advocates have banded together, developing a means by which breweries can do their part to create a safer, more inclusive future for all. It’s called Brave Noise, and as is customary of brewing-industry initiatives, it uses beer as both a rallying cry and mechanism for change.
The name Brave Noise originates from a beer brewed by Allan. In June, she and her Notch Brewing (Allan has since left the company) co-worker Juleidy Peña Mejia brewed Brave Noise Pale Ale, referencing the eye-opening personal accounts people provided in response to Allan’s Instagram post. Personnel from other breweries reached out to Allan asking if they could brew the beer to help amplify its message. Such outreach is reminiscent of the way more than a thousand brewing companies brewed their own versions of Black Is Beautiful, a stout originally developed by Weathered Souls Brewing to raise funds for equality-focused charities in light of the Black Lives Matter movement. In much the same way, the recipe for Brave Noise is being made available to breweries thanks to Allan, brewery-focused creative agency Stout Collective, and Ash Eliot, the founder of Women of the Bevolution, an entity aimed at empowering female professionals in the beverage industry with an emphasis on craft beer.
Getting involved through Brave Noise isn’t as simple as brewing a beer and writing a check. While those steps are essential and it’s recommended that a majority of funds raised through sales of the beer be donated to a charity or non-profit organization supporting the collaboration’s mission, breweries must first submit a link to their company’s code of conduct before being granted access to the Brave Noise recipe. If they do not have a code of conduct, those companies must first develop one. Additionally, participating companies must make their code of conduct accessible to the public upon the beer’s release. It’s a next-level qualification aimed at creating lasting change. Brave Noise is meant to be a starting point with participants signing on as long-term allies working to improve the overall safety and inclusiveness of the industry and the workplaces within it.
So far, five San Diego County breweries are among the 96 companies nationwide that have gone through the necessary steps to brew Brave Noise:
- Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Miramar, Bankers Hill, Carlsbad) | Available Now
- Saint Archer Brewing (Miramar) | Available Now
- Stone Brewing (Escondido, Point Loma, Downtown, East Village, Oceanside) | Release Date: October 15
- Athletic Brewing (Miramar) | Release Date: October 24
- Second Chance Beer Co. (Carmel Mountain Ranch, North Park) | Release Date: December 10
“We jumped at the opportunity to take part in the Brave Noise collaboration. It’s our hope that the collaborative effort around this beer drives awareness to the issues, opens conversations about the reality of working in this industry, and inspires change to make this industry safer for women,” says Stone CEO Maria Stipp. “So many men and women have come forward to ensure we’re taking action during this time, and this collaboration beer created a really special opportunity to celebrate some of them. Stone’s Brave Noise collaboration beer will benefit SAFE Bar Network and SAFE Institute, both of whom have helped with important recent trainings for our team.”
In addition to commercial brewers, recreational brewers are also being invited to brew Brave Noise. Steps for obtaining a homebrew-scaled version of the recipe are available on Brave Noise’s website, as is the official participation process for professional brewers.
“Pure Project is beyond grateful to Brienne Allan and the brave people who came forward to share their stories, bringing to light harassment and discrimination present in the brewing community. It was important for us to join the Brave Noise collaboration to acknowledge and stand alongside those who experience this trauma, and to make clear through our policies and actions that this is not okay,” says Pure Project Environmental and Community Impact Manager Cassie Dexter Torti. “We applaud those prioritizing change in ways like hosting open discussions, revising codes of conduct and internal operations, and diversifying voices at the table. We see you.”