Photograph by Eliesa Johnson
Indeed Brewing
* See below for updates
There's been a #MeToo reckoning in the craft beer world over the last two weeks. It has hit globally, with claims of sexism and assault touching breweries in all parts of the world, and it has hit locally, at Indeed Brewing.
It started with a few posts on Brienne Allan's @ratmagnet personal page, but gained momentum as women in the beer industry all over the world chimed in. Hundreds of stories have poured in over the weeks. Some of the accusations have been powerful enough to affect change in certain breweries, as the CEO of Modern Times Brewery in California has stepped down. Others are denying the veracity of the claims, and Allan has stated that she is just sharing the stories and not vetting them.
With hundreds of claims posted on Instagram stories, it can be hard to locate a brewery you might patronize, but we do know that Indeed Brewing was called out by several posts. Late last week the company posted a letter from Kelly Moritz, the COO, saying they are trying to learn from this and be better:
“I should first say that I firmly and unwaveringly support these stories being told, collected, and shared widely. The sheer number of them should be eye-opening to those who think the beer industry is blameless or above criticism when it comes to issues like sexist, racist, and classist behavior. … We, at Indeed, are not blameless or above criticism. I know we’re not doing everything perfectly. But I can tell you that we are trying. I am trying.”
In the letter, Moritz shares her phone number and email and says her door is wide open, that she doesn't want to let women down by brushing it under the rug.
A notable comment on the Instagram post came from Rachel Anderson, one of the original founders of the company. She found the sentiment curious, as no one had reached out to her, and her story told another side of the culture at Indeed.
Anderson posted her story, I AM A CRAFT BEER CASUALTY, on her own site. I found it yesterday. In it, she tells of how she was one of the original founders of the brewery in 2011, on the team from the beginning setting the brand's logo and handpicking the local illustrator that would help define the tone of the brewery. "My goal was to create a brand that was inclusive and fun, with the intention of inviting a new type of craft beer drinker in. I wanted Indeed to be a brand I and others like me could get behind."
But as the company was taking off and becoming a huge local player, Anderson says it was not the same behind the scenes:
“Questioning inappropriate behavior was seen as a buzzkill. Establishing paid maternity leave was not a priority. When I welcomed my second child in 2014, I returned to work after six (unpaid weeks), strapping my little girl to my chest to carry on. As a mom of two young children, when I expressed the need for a better work/life balance, it was seen as a lack of commitment to the business. Advocating for fair compensation was an annoyance. Expressing the need for help in my ever-expanding job responsibilities was a weakness. 'You’re not acting like an owner,' is what I was told over and over and over.”
“Despite the hostile environment I tried to work hard and push forward. I promised myself I would not quit. I convinced myself that if I worked hard enough, things would get better. That I still had room to create meaningful change. Meanwhile, female employees started to confide that they too felt bullied, undervalued and marginalized.”
Anderson recounts that as tensions grew, things got worse. In October of 2015, the group handed her a letter of termination and forced her to leave the brewery on the spot, "My email, computer and key card were immediately disabled. Next I was voted off the Board of Directors of the company. I was in a state of shock and panic. How could I, as an owner, be forced out of my own company without reason?"
During that same time, she was also going through a divorce and facing the realities of becoming a single mother to two kids. She asserts that the company knew of her financial difficulties due to this, and took advantage of her at her most vulnerable moment.
Anderson believes that the toxic masculinity that fostered her removal is "baked into the DNA of the company":
“When leadership acts in a hostile way toward fellow employees, an example is set of what acceptable behavior looks like. When employees are not compensated and promoted fairly, an example is set of what acceptable behavior looks like. When female employees are made to feel uncomfortable sharing a pregnancy announcement, an example is set of what acceptable behavior looks like. When people in leadership positions are involved in inappropriate sexual relationships with subordinates, an example is set of what acceptable behavior looks like. When people get jobs at the company because they are friends with someone in a position of authority, an example is set of what acceptable behavior looks like. When employees feel empowered to make offensive ‘jokes’ that make others uncomfortable, an example is set of what acceptable behavior looks like. When racist and misogynistic beer names are freely floated around as suggestions for new products, an example is set of what acceptable behavior looks like.”
It was the Moritz statement that led Anderson to tell her story, because it felt like false sentiment to her. She states that no one has attempted to reach out to her since early 2016, "when they were certain I no longer had the resources to wage a legal battle," and no acknowledgment of apology has ever been given.
For her part, Anderson has regrets, "I look back now, and wish I had done so many things differently. I wish I had been able to stand up to the bullying and gaslighting. I wish I had been able to create a better and more inclusive environment. I wish the amazing female employees who ultimately quit working for Indeed would have been better supported, compensated and valued. But most of all, I look back and feel compassion for the woman that ever questioned whether she was good enough to exist in this industry. I was, and I am."
I reached out to Indeed for a reaction to Anderson's post, and this morning I received this quote from Tom Whisenand, co-founder and CEO:
“Indeed is not the same brewery it was six years ago. We believe this, but to make absolutely sure that statement is true, we’ll be hiring an external firm to do an unbiased workplace audit. They’ll help check our remaining blind spots, and assess whether we harbor any systemic problems in our leadership, processes, or procedures. We plan to share those results openly, and immediately address any identified issues.”
A few women in the industry who I've talked to personally, who don't want to go on the record for fear of retribution, have all repeated the same sentiment: it's not words, it's action, nobody cares about your apology if it's just dudebro chatter.
More action, less posts.
* UPDATE: As of around 6:30 p.m. on the day this article was published, Tom Whisenand posted this public statement and apology to Rachel Anderson. Definitely read it.
* The original headline of this article mis-identified Anderson as a "former" owner, when she still retains ownership in the company.
