It’s a tempest in a teapot, but on an otherwise slow weekend, I’ll play the hand I’m dealt.
The topic is Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, his task force on top-shelf dining and bourbon, and the absence of other food scene elements (including brewing) from the plan.
Greg Fischer: Bourbon and local craft beer don’t mix.
This morning at Insider Louisville, Steve Coomes goes deeper in support of the mayor’s aims.
There have been good points all around during this discussion, and given that it’s always a good idea to consider your own side’s strong and weak points before jumping into the fray, one thing stands out to me: If there was to be a cogent rebuttal from Louisville’s brewers, it should stem from a position of unity. Unity requires organization, and this is a great and enduring challenge for craft brewers in general.
As a director on the board of the Brewers of Indiana Guild, I feel qualified to admit to such. BIG has made considerable progress in bringing itself to a point where a political personage such as Louisville’s mayor (and his staffers) wouldn’t think of a task force without consulting the craft brewing bloc first. It takes time, though. It requires commitment and engagement.
Otherwise, we’re merely lobbing barbs from a barstool.
