Reasons for Not Patronizing a Brewery

Well, here's the thing: in WA the Liquor and Cannabis Control Board has the authority to make their own rules, outside of the law. For example, about 12-13 years ago, LCB decided that neon lights with brewery names on them were harmful to The Children. So, they instituted a rule a bar/tavern could only have X square inches of neon advertising visible from the outside. boom, you've got a week to comply. I don't know if any place ever got wrote up for it (the LCB folks we dealt with regularly thought it was dumb, and they had better stuff to do), but there it was, in case a particular agent wanted to use it.

It wasn't a law, so it didn't get any hearings or public discourse before hand, just here's this new rule. In general, WA has very relaxed alcohol laws, but when LCB gets a bug up their butt about something......

 

Sorry, to clarify, by “law” I meant any statute, administrative reg, or general rule… including the LCB regs. The source I cited above cites the LCB regs, I believe. Now, it sounds like your LCB and/or local cops have misinterpreted it or misapplied it (which should surprise nobody).

 

Yikes! (inserting obscure reference here) McLovin is lucky the right cops showed up when he used his fake ID

 

“Chicka, chicka-yeah, fake I.D.”

Cheers!

 

I'd hardly called that obscure, but a great reference nonetheless lmao

 

Your LCB likely works outside of direct oversite of legislature. This is by design. In NYS for example, the Liquor Authority reports to the Governor. The design is intended to remove politics from operations. Try to to anyway. That does not mean the Liquor Authority makes the law however. Far from it.

This Washington LCB "has the authority to make their own rules, outside of the law".
Really? They get to make the law? And they get to enforce the law too? Rules must comply with law. Otherwise the rules are unlawful. And therefore meaningless.

Laws are made by elected representatives. Government agencies may promulgate rules, but rules are not laws and rules must comply with the law. That is how it works.

Cheers

 

Haven't read through the posts but for me personally.
If I have to wait for a table, a beer, parking stinks, beer list is more trend heavy than balanced. Any brewery where the recommendations I'm hearing are about the food and not the beer...if you have 5 star food and 3 star beer, I'll look else where thanks. This is the same as a strip club having a 5 star chef...who eats at a strip club and WTH happened to the chef to end up in the kitchen at the International House of Tits & Ass

 

Yes. They call them policies or regulations, but yes, a 3 (or 5, I forget) person board sets those policies. For example, about 10-12 years ago they decided that too many neon signs were bad for the children, and put a limit on the number of square inches of neon alcohol signs that could be visible to the street, and the bars had 30 to come into compliance. Our local agents told us that it was unlikely that they would enforce it (since they had better stuff to do) but it was there, and if an agent had a bug up his ass, or if they were writing a place up for something, it was there, and an easy add-on violation.

 

You've never been to PDX have you? There are several strip clubs that have top end steaks on the menu. One club owner even owns a cattle ranch that he supplies his club with steaks. $10, 16oz T-Bone? I'm in.

 

I've not, where is this located? I've no doubt this can be possible based on location, location, location. However, being a Cleveland homer, I'm sure a 5 star chef at one of the strip clubs here is vastly different from locations where this is actually a positive. Dancers included...once had a navy friend in town on leave having been in Pearl Harbor, HI & Phu Ket Thailand, a native Clevelander as well..."I wanna hit all the clubs here and see how they compare to where I've been." Me..."You're joking right? I mean forget comparing apples to apples, you'll be lucky if we uncover Cleveland cute @ best even with beer goggles" but I digress

 

Given the massive number of breweries, I usually look for reasons to support. That said, there are a couple things that turn me off. Just my two cents, of course.

1. Offensive, stupid or ugly labels and names. Flying Dog is a prime example. I might like the art in a museum, but seeing canine body horror hardly whets the appetite. And I don't want to grab a beer called Raging Bitch for a family cookout. I will say that it's not enough for a true boycott, just makes me reach for something else.

2. Politics. I am a conservative, mostly, so breweries engaging in liberal posturing is a turn-off. That means you can appeal to me by calling your latest brew Make Beer Great Again, right? Absolutely not. I hate pandering, and hate seeing something as universal as beer join the ugliness of politics so directly. Of course, there are political concerns for beer, like sin taxes, oversight and fees from governing bodies, and a million other things. But panhandling for a political candidate, even one I like, takes the fun out of beer.

3. Most importantly, bad beer. Enough said.

Honorary mention: TVs in the taproom (especially sports). I'll just grab some cans to take home.