It’s Time for Beer to Make a Brave Noise
Editor’s note: March is Women’s History Month so we thought it would be an ideal time to share fhe story of a move towards equality and an end to sexism in the beer industry
Green Bench version - New England Pale Ale with Strata and Mosaic hops
Price- $11 for six 12 oz. cans
There have been a fair number of collaborations out there that aim to do good and bring about change. Sierra Nevada’s Resilience IPA raised $15 million dollars for the Camp Fire relief which devastated California in 2018. Black is Beautiful Imperial Stout showed support for Black Americans in Weathered Souls Brewing Co’s wonderful Black is Beautiful collaboration after the death of George Floyd. And then there’s Brave Noise.
Background
In May of 2021, Brienne Allen, then a brewer at the fabulous Notch Brewing in Salem, MA, asked online if anyone had experienced misogyny and sexism in the industry. The dam burst. People came with their stories from all aspects. It was heartbreaking. In the words of Allen, “this is f*cking brutal.” Ask women in the industry that simple question and, sadly, they will have a story. Everyone does. I do. And it can be much worse for women than a mansplain or sexist comment. Instances of rape and assault permeated Allen’s Instagram story. Again, it was brutal. NO ONE deserves that; especially within the industry they work in and love.
Code of Conduct
In brewing Brave Noise, breweries must publish a code of conduct that all employees and customers must adhere to. Money raised from the sale of the beer would be donated to a charity of the brewery’s choice and if you need help deciding where the money would go, Brave Noise’s website has a list of charities they recommend. Lastly, the brewery must commit to lasting change in their brewery to make sure everyone who works or visits there now (and in the future) feels welcome and safe. Even homebrewers can get in on the action with a scaled-down homebrew version of the recipe.
So far, fewer breweries have decided to brew this. 1500 breweries signed up to brew Sierra Nevada’s Resilience. So far only 162 breweries in the US have signed up to brew Brave Noise. I have tried to figure out why. Maybe the code of conduct is a lot of legwork to do (although, to be fair, any brewery that cares about their employees should already have something like this in place). Maybe the industry, being very much male dominated, just doesn’t care about this issue or doesn’t think it applies to them. That would be the saddest instance and one I hope isn’t true.
Green Bench
In reviewing this beer, I chose Florida based brewery Green Bench who participated in the collaboration. I’m a big fan of their beers; all the styles they brew are consistent and incredibly high quality. Plus owner Khris Johnson is a super nice guy. Their version of Brave Noise is a New England Pale Ale, which is the style Notch’s recipe used; however, Green Bench deviated from Notch’s recipe and used their own New England Pale Ale recipe plus Strata and Mosaic hops (the original recipe contains Sabro and Mosaic). I understand why Notch made it a New England Pale Ale; it’s a popular style that many would reach for.
For Green Bench, their code of conduct went through several talks and was spearheaded by Green Bench’s General Manager. The nonprofit that Green Bench supported was Beer Kulture, who work towards more diversity and equity in the beer industry.
Green Bench Tasting Notes
The beer poured thick and hazy, with that classic Sunny D color so popular nowadays. The aroma and flavor also reminded me of Sunny D, which brought me back to visiting friend’s homes in the early 1990s (we weren’t allowed to have that in my house). Aromas of this beer were wonderful: orange hi-chew, candied orange -- it was an orange dream; standing in a fresh grove of Florida orange trees in the breeze on a beautifully warm day. Flavors were very similar to the aromas. This beer actually reminded me of my own version of Sunny D I made when I was a kid: Tropicana no pulp orange juice mixed with seltzer with lots of ice. This beer brought me back to watching TV before bed, on my second OJ/seltzer mocktail. Again- memory is so strong when tasting beers.
The carbonation on Green Bench’s version was quite high, making it easy to drink and almost soda-esque like an Orangina. The beer went down quickly. The 12 oz. can was drained within five minutes. I enjoyed it immensely and again wished I could get Green Bench’s beers where I lived.
I’m hoping more people brew this beer and stop to think about what collaborations actually mean. Are breweries just doing some sort of performative action that may appeal to people and sell more, or are they hoping that things actually change and that all people who love beer can feel safe in doing so? I hope the latter. Everyone deserves to enjoy beer.