Saturday, December 07, 2013

More on Mayor Fischer's beer-less task force.

It's a tempest in a teapot, but on an otherwise slow weekend, I'll play the hand I'm dealt.

The topic is Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, his task force on top-shelf dining and bourbon, and the absence of other food scene elements (including brewing) from the plan.

Greg Fischer: Bourbon and local craft beer don't mix.

This morning at Insider Louisville, Steve Coomes goes deeper in support of the mayor's aims.

Steve Coomes: Some complain mayor’s restaurant-bourbon tourism team neglects beer, coffee, food trucks

There have been good points all around during this discussion, and given that it's always a good idea to consider your own side's strong and weak points before jumping into the fray, one thing stands out to me: If there was to be a cogent rebuttal from Louisville's brewers, it should stem from a position of unity. Unity requires organization, and this is a great and enduring challenge for craft brewers in general.

As a director on the board of the Brewers of Indiana Guild, I feel qualified to admit to such. BIG has made considerable progress in bringing itself to a point where a political personage such as Louisville's mayor (and his staffers) wouldn't think of a task force without consulting the craft brewing bloc first. It takes time, though. It requires commitment and engagement.

Otherwise, we're merely lobbing barbs from a barstool.

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