The #MeToo movement that swept through the entertainment industry is now making its way to craft beer. It’s a male dominated industry where women have complained about allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct.
Melissa Myers is the owner of the Good Hop, a craft beer bar in Oakland’s uptown neighborhood.
“I want the Good Hop to be a place where women can feel 100% welcome all the time,” she said.
The motivation for her bar shattered a bit on Tuesday, when someone broke a window there. It happened the night Myers hosted a party, celebrating women in the industry while calling attention to an Instagram post that was going viral.
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“This started with a posting from a woman named Brianne. She posted on her Instagram an innocent question,” she said.
The post gained traction by anyone experienced harassment, abuse, or discrimination in the craft beer industry. In just a week, more than a thousand women shared their stories.
“Some of the stories are 'oh, this guy said you can’t possibly be the brewer.' You’re female all the way up to I was sexually assaulted by the owner," Myers said.
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A number of beer owners and distributors from around the state including the Bay Area were named in the posts.
The founder of San Diego-based brewing company Modern Times Beer responded to the allegations of abuse against women at his company by apologizing and stepping down as CEO. He plans to search for new company leadership.
Employees at the Modern Times Taproom in Oakland closed its doors Thursday in protest.
