Anti-PG&E Beer Brewers Are Not Backing Down | Eater SF

"In Santa Rosa, I saw that Shady Oak Barrel House announced on Facebook (the post went up on November 6) a new beer called “Fuck PG&E,” described as a classic California pale ale featuring Cashmere and Simcoe hops and a touch of malt sweetness. The name, owner Steve Doty says, was intended as a gesture of solidarity for victims of fires allegedly started by PG&E equipment and as an expression of contempt for the corporation’s leadership, but it sparked heavy backlash—garnering 343 comments, drawing angry posts from PG&E employees and their families, triggering a spate of one-star Yelp reviews that led to reviews on the brewery’s page being suspended, and prompting callers to make what Doty describes as violent threats against taproom staff. Doty maintains the naming decision was his alone, has no plans to change it, and argues that calling out the company is justified given its alleged role in recent Northern California fires." - Eve Batey