Salvaging plans and celebrating the humanity of craft beer

You have to compartmentalize these things. When you start to talk about the monumental impact that this pandemic and the associated shutdowns are having on the beer industry, you cannot balance it against, or compare it to, the real, heart-wrenching human suffering. Nobody is doing that. We are humans with big human brains; we can discuss one without discounting the enormity and the gravitas of the other.

Compartmentalize. The pandemic shutdowns are disrupting all of our lives. Then again, in some ways, there is no disruption. The world keeps turning. Everything is different and some things are the same. Disruptions, yes, but the sun comes up every morning and babies are born every day.

Wait. What? Babies?

Back to beer for a moment, and the Peddler Brewing anniversary celebration. Peddler was one of several local breweries with anniversary plans that were shaken or demolished by the pandemic shutdown.

Peddler Brewing’s event to commemorate the brewery’s 7th anniversary, which was scheduled for March 7th, was canceled, like so many others. In the face of all that is going on right now, Peddler Brewing recently announced that it still plans to do a little sumpin’ for its seventh anniversary.

“Instead of indefinitely putting off our 7th Anniversary party we canceled a month ago, we have decided to do a modified anniversary celebration at Peddler,” said Haley Keller, co-owner at Peddler Brewing, in an email. “We are selling our commemorative anniversary glasses with a growlette fill through our online store, pre-sale for a socially-distance approved, spread-out pickup, and at-home cheersing event.” (click here.)

Haley and Dave Keller, the owners of Peddler Brewing, welcomed a new baby to the family on January 29th, just before the world was flipped on its side and the beer industry was sent into a blind tizzy.

As brewery owners with a newborn infant and a toddler to care for, it’s hard to imagine what’s going through their minds right now.

Actually, it’s not hard to imagine at all. Haley recently published a blog post that provides some insight into what all of this means and what’s going on in their lives. You should read it.

One of the things I love about the craft brewing industry is that the breweries are, by definition, privately owned and operated real people and not faceless corporations. Real people have real families, real dreams, real plans. Asperation and hope are driving forces for craft breweries.

Right now, I am hearing a lot of statistics being thrown around. Sales data. Survey results. A lot of dehumanized discussions about how the current circumstances are impacting the craft brewing industry. Deep breathing is good. Meditation helps too.

I hope you’ll take time to read Haley’s blog post. I hope it reinforces in your mind, and in your heart, the real humanity that is behind the breweries that we love. I hope it reminds you why we so eagerly support them. Why we cherish them. Why we have their backs.

Get in on the Pedder Brewing 7th Anniversary action by ordering your commemorative glass and your growlette here:   https://peddler-brewing-company.square.site/shop/2

Congratulations, Haley and Dave. On the anniversary and especially the baby. Welcome to our human community, Ryan!