The chickens are finally coming home to roost for New Belgium Brewery, the beer company that the Peak has railed against since 2012 for being hyperpartisan. Craig Daily Press is reporting that local liquor stores are pulling New Belgium products, as well as several other beer companies, from its shelves after it was discovered that the companies were funding Wild Earth Guardians, which is suing to close down a coal mine in Craig, Colo. The loss of the coal mine would devastate the area as it employs approximately 200 people and provides countless other economic benefits.
Craig liquor store owner Lori Gillam told the Craig Daily Press why she and other local liquor stores are protesting the funders:
“We pulled those beers because their support of WildEarth Guardians… who said their ultimate goal is to shut down coal mines. Craig is a coal mine town.”
It’s about time people woke up to New Belgium’s political meddling. In response to Craig’s economic protest, New Belgium offered this statement:
“At New Belgium Brewing, we support non-profit partners who advocate for healthy watersheds. Wild Earth Guardians first contacted New Belgium in 2008 seeking grant money for restoration projects along the Colorado River. We supported these efforts because Colorado businesses, residents and the environment are dependent upon sound water management,” according to the press release. “Specific to any work Wild Earth Guardians has done regarding the ColoWyo and Trapper mines, we were unaware of it at the time and that is outside the scope of our grant allocations. We have no further funding pending at this time.”
This is complete and utter crap. New Belgium prides itself on only hiring left-leaning individuals and has engaged in countless job-killing activities. For example, in 2012, New Belgium’s chief told the Wall Street Journal:
“In Colorado, executives at New Belgium Brewing Co. have made their political views public. Indeed, CEO Kim Jordan attended the Democratic Convention in Charlotte earlier this year. Favored candidates have also been permitted to hold events at the brewery.
Still, “we try to be really careful to allow everyone to have their own opinion,” says Jenn Vervier, the director of sustainability and strategic planning at the 450-employee company. Because the company considers “cultural fit” when hiring, she says, most staffers tend to agree on partisan issues.”
Then, in 2013, New Belgium signed a letter along with 25 other brewers protesting fracking because it was concerned about water quality, despite the fact that there has never been a documented case of fracking contaminating drinking water.
We would like to believe New Belgium as it pleads ignorance on this matter, but New Belgium has over and over engaged in job-killing, irrational environmental demands. No crying into their beer now.
Get your brewery out of Colorado. This is spreading to more towns! Hopefully they can run their plant on wind…. Oh wait…. That won't ever happen. If they were just gonna loose a 6 pack a week then why are they scrambling to make it right in Craig, Meeker, Rifle and Grand Junction???
You know what is so irritating about your comment, is the fact that
Wildlife Guardians gets all their funding from the Federal government in the form of grants which comes from the high taxes that all those coal miners pay. Everyone has the right to form an option no matter how uniformed they are and ignorant they are. Ever been in a western United States coal mine-they reclaim the land better than when they found it. On top of everything else the judge who is ruling on these permits was a lawyer for Wildlife Guardians-he needs to step down NOW!
Baroness Dave, I can't wait until you are bitching about your electrical and gas bills if this Isis (American destroying) group , WildEarth Guardians get there way! I can hear you now… Ohhh and they fact that you are ok with WildEarth Guardians filling a lawsuit approximately every week and a half is ridiculous! And I bet you understand that they are using taxpayer money to do it… right? Quit being ignorant and research how bad this group is for America! Quit being ignorant and realize that we can not run off wind and solar alone (I'm sure you're one of the people that here that something is "green" and you eat it up. News flash, green is a color and it does NOT mean it is necessarily good for the environment)…
Evidently they care more than you know. I doubt 6 reps from NB would come up to this "six pack a week sales" if this wasn't a valid issue to them. Seems like you are more interested in saving animals than your fellow human beings….says a lot about your character, sir.
You sir, are an uninformed idiot.
The most powerful vote in America is the one you make with your walket! Since bad news travels ten times after than anything else, New Belgium is in for quite a rude awakening to the power of the people. At a point where I have to make choice over the well being of the families of my neighbors to the north or the lining the pockets if some leftist piss brewer, the best choice us simple! People I care about come first!!
No more NB for me and I will tell everyone I know! So hopefully it will be more then a 6 pack they lose!
No more New Belgium…..
Barnes Dave- Where do you think your electricity comes from when you flip on your light switch? Or when you plug in your phone at night? Or use any of your precious electronic devices or appliances? If coal mines shut down it would be next to impossible for the middle class to afford electricity as wind and solar power are just not enough alone! Please do your research and see why coal mining is absolutely essential.
What's wrong with you? Hundreds of families all around Colorado are going to be loosing their livelihood. Not to mention the greater effect of eliminating a powerful revenue stream that keeps these communities afloat. Shutting down coal mine is effectively killing small town Colorado.
Dave Barns is an idiot. With over 200 people working at these coal mines, they will loose more than just a six pack. New Belguim should get out of politics and just make beer. I have had my last Fat Tire.
So, New Belgium will lose a six-pack a week in sales. Good for NB and dumping on coal.