Becker: "What’s happening at Four Roses has implications for both the broader labor movement, as well as future generations of American workers."

Photo credit: WKYT.

I didn't know an international brewing company (Kirin) owned Four Roses.

In Japanese, "kirin" can refer to giraffes, or to Qilin, the mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creatures. Kirin Brewery is named after the latter.

Whether it's Japanese or Jamaican is of little consequence.

The crux to me is that while celebrated craft brewers can be small and privately owned, tending not to be unionized, the doctrine of "bourbonism" generally rests on the investments of larger corporate conglomerates.

Just an observation: there'll come a time, craft beer nation.

Here's why the workers' strike at Four Roses has bigger implications, by Richard Becker (Courier Journal)

Production work came to a halt at the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg on Sept. 7 and at the company’s bottling facility in Nelson County. The workers, who are represented by three different unions, have been in prolonged and fractious negotiations with the company for several weeks. After the company issued its “last, best, and final offer,” the workers nearly-unanimously rejected it and voted to go on strike.

But this is no ordinary strike. What’s happening at Four Roses has implications for both the broader labor movement, as well as future generations of American workers.

Kirin Brewery Company, the parent company of Four Roses, has proposed a partial “two-tier” contract, in which future workers will have less paid time off than current workers. Two-tier union contracts have become increasingly common over the past several decades, but have only recently begun to capture the public’s attention. If you’ve followed the brewing unrest at UPS over their contract, you may have already heard of the concept. Essentially, a two-tier contract creates a second level of benefits and/or wages for workers hired after the effective date of the contract, while wages and benefits for current workers remain generally the same.

Obviously, companies seek to implement such systems in order to cut labor costs over the long term. And the evil genius of them is that their likelihood of passing in a vote by the workers is quite high because in theory, current workers have nothing to lose from such a setup. That’s what makes these workers’ resistance to the company’s proposal so uniquely selfless. These workers understand that two-tier contracts are potentially devastating for the survival of a vibrant American labor movement ...

Gospel Bird scores praise in the CJ, then reveals a new restaurant/distillery idea for Main Street.

Formerly the WE Studio, soon to become Concrete Jungle. 

New Albany is Southern Indiana's Food District, and the week before Derby has been filled with positive media, some of it generated entirely unexpectedly.

Bernie Sanders dines in New Albany as local Democrats join Hillary at an Applebee's somewhere.

Bernie Sanders at The Exchange pub + kitchen, Tuesday, May 3.

Meanwhile, it's all Gospel Bird. The patio is open, and will be served by the restaurant's refashioned Airstream bar once health department approval is obtained. Until then, servers will find a way to put a drink in your hand.

The Courier-Journal's praise for Gospel Bird is effusive.

Gospel Bird is a don’t miss, by Nancy Miller (Special to the Courier-Journal)

Unlike a sponge that soaks up every trend, (Eric) Morris and (Ethan) Ray do their own thing, marrying a casual sensibility with revved up inventiveness. Don’t take my word for it, although I speak only the truth. The eating is believing. I’m a Gospel Bird believer. Hallelujah.

Rating: 3 ½ of 4 stars

Then there's this bombshell. Who knew that Steve Resch had designs on being a distilling magnate?

As Gospel Bird soars, Eric Morris eyes opening of Concrete Jungle restaurant and distillery, by Steve Coomes (Insider Louisville)

... And as the future of New Albany’s downtown unfolds, Morris envisions even greater traffic. He says an unnamed developer from Nashville wants to erect a seven-story building (either a hotel or condo complex) across the street from his restaurant, and developer Steve Resch wants to build a restaurant and distillery a literal stone’s throw from Gospel Bird.

And he wants Morris to run it.

“I have no plan to open a bunch of restaurants, but Steve came to us with this idea and we wanted to do it,” Morris says. The building is located at 324 E. Main St. “We came back to him with our ideas, and he said he loved it.”

The business will be called Concrete Jungle, Morris says, adding it has literal and symbolic applications.

Just think how much better all these positive developments would come together if they were connected by complete, calmed, two-way streets.

Legislative libations 1: Matters of distilling and brewing.

In Indiana legislative news, HB 1293 (creation of artisanal distilling permits) will be heard in committee this very morning. As currently written, it would broaden the scope of distilling permits for existing small wineries wishing to enter or expand distilling, and enable existing small breweries to obtain permits on what amounts to a leveled regulatory playing field.

Our own representative Ed Clere is carrying the ball for this bill, and he is joined as sponsor by Rep. Rhonda Rhoads from the adjacent District 70. I support this measure sans self-interest, seeing as though NABC has no immediate plans to get into distilling, and I'd like to publicly thank Ed Clere (sans irony) for seeing the merit of enabling craft distilling in Indiana.

The other two items of interest to the Brewers of Indiana Guild, of which I'm a director, both originate in the Senate and are explained below in excerpts from a mailing by the guild's executive director. SB 0401 would rationalize the paperwork for small breweries to legally pour samples at fests and events. SB 0100 would allow us to sell pre-sealed bottles and growlers at farmers' markets. Needless to say, I'm in favor of these measures, as well.

We have filed three bills: SB 0100 (to permit brewers to sell product at farmers markets), SB 0401 (to create a streamlined process for serving at festivals and special events) and HB 1293 (to create an artisan distiller permit) ...

 ... There will be other hearings and opportunities to support all of our bills. In order to become law, a bill must have a committee hearing and vote, debate and vote on second reading, and debate and vote on third reading. The bill then goes "across the hall" (from Senate to House, or House to Senate) where the entire process repeats. In reality, only a fraction of bills make it to the governor's desk, and those that do are rarely in the same form as they started (because of amendments).