Why Dogfish Head Is Facing Backlash For Its Controversial Instagram Post

Delaware-based brewery Dogfish Head has come under fire for its controversial Instagram post, which many viewed as a sign of disregard toward marginalized groups in the beer industry. Dogfish Head has been brewing beer out of its first brewery in Rehoboth, Delaware since 1995, according to VinePair. Its founder, Sam Calagione, merged the company with Boston Beer Company in 2019, which was a $300 million dollar deal and allowed the former to maintain a large presence in its home state of Delaware, according to CNBC.

Among Dogfish Head's many goals is to build, "strong, diverse and innovative brands in craft beer and beyond-beer." However, many argue that the brewery's intentions proved otherwise in a recent Instagram post, which is a direct statement from Calagione himself. The graphic reads, "The craftbrewing community is 99% a**hole free." This social media image and its caption enraged many beer fans who found it tone-deaf and ignorant to the mistreatment of women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Dogfish Head's image was accompanied by a long caption, which has been edited since it was originally posted. Still, people are not satisfied with the brewery's lack of response towards stories of discrimination in the beer industry.

In May 2021, the beer industry was put underneath a critical lens for long dismissing stories of abuse. Workers in the beer industry came forward about the lack of diversity and discrimination in the field. Multiple employees shared their stories about being threatened and assaulted based on their identities, according to Craft Brewing Business. To say the least, Dogfish Head's social media statement did not suffice. Ash Elliot, founder of Women of the Revolution, told Delaware Online that, "It showed privilege and disrespect to what we are all trying to strive for right now – a better, safer and discrimination-free beer industry."

While most drink beer socially, as it is supposed to bring people together, recognizing and respecting the stories of those who make it should be the manufacturer's foremost priority.