California brewery’s ‘F--- PG&E’ beer prompts backlash — and an apology
A Northern California brewery is apologizing and trying to set the record straight after releasing a beer called “F--- PG&E.”
Shady Oak Barrel House in Santa Rosa announced the profanely named brew last week, describing the beer in a Wednesday Facebook post as “a classic California pale ale, featuring Cashmere and Simcoe hops and a touch of malt sweetness.”
While the name drew praise from commenters who condemn Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for corporate greed, it triggered backlash among those worried that anti-PG&E sentiment could be directed at rank-and-file utility workers.
Some commenters on the brewery’s Facebook wrote that they or their spouses work for the company and slammed the name as “distasteful” or “disgusting.”
“As a wife of a very hardworking, compassionate PG&E gas serviceman who was born and raised in Santa Rosa, I find your new beer label completely insulting,” one commenter wrote. “My husband has been working 18 hour days and not seeing his little boys for the past two weeks to help our local community. Your label is hurting the men and women that work day in and day out for their community.”
The brewery tried to clear the air on Sunday.
“The name was not intended to go after honest hard-working people that have been and still currently ARE helping our community ... The name doesn’t suggest anything remotely like this; however, some people chose to read it this way,” brewery management wrote in a Facebook post. “The name instead was chosen in some contempt for the corporation itself.”
The brewery said that “corporate bigwigs at PG&E chose to line their pockets and ignore their responsibilities in their role that led to the destruction of communities across California.”
PG&E has been blamed for starting the Camp Fire last year, which was the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history, and the company is in court for its possible role in the deadly Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County a year earlier.
Gov. Gavin Newsom warned Californians to show respect for the utility’s workers last month following reports of attacks and threats against them, The Sacramento Bee reported.
“They’re your community members. They send their kids to the same school you send your kids to,” Newsom said at a news conference. “They didn’t create this mess. They’re trying to fix it.”
The company filed a reorganization plan in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in September.
“It’s really strange when it’s a company that is known at fault for killing people, destroying lives and communities and people have a problem with me calling them out,” Shady Oak owner Steve Doty said, according to SFGate. “No, they deserve it.”
The brewery’s rating on Yelp started to tank as one-star reviews appeared amid the backlash, SFGate reported, but Yelp has since begun monitoring the account for negative reviews that violate its terms of service.
This story was originally published November 11, 2019 at 9:28 PM with the headline "California brewery’s ‘F--- PG&E’ beer prompts backlash — and an apology."
