"Does craft beer have a sexism problem?"

I tend to agree, and have said so in the past.

The PC: Ripped straight from the pages of an Onion satire: “13 white males not really so eager to discuss issues like racism and sexism.”

Eventually we did, and a committee has been formed within the Brewers of Indiana Guild to gather information and work toward recognizing such. It isn't fast enough for some, and not even for me, but we all must start somewhere.

The following article by Josh Noel is ironic in a very specific New Albanian sense. as just this year a downtown "Hot Stone Spa" finally closed after three years and numerous complaints, with its landlord, a Republican council person, insisting all along that he had no idea about matters such as human trafficking and the sex trade at spas. Only when he resolved to run for mayor did the eviction occur.

ON THE AVENUES: Got spa? Time for CM Zurschmiede to reel in the years.

Happy endings, indeed. The newspaper makes it almost impossible to read, but ...

Does craft beer have a sexism problem? Binny's rejects Happy Ending, by Josh Noel (Chicago Tribune)

Atlanta's SweetWater Brewing Co. began distributing beer in Chicago this week, but its most notable beer at the moment might be the one that's missing.

The Binny's Beverage Depot in Lincoln Park has declined to stock SweetWater's Happy Ending imperial stout due to what the store's beer manager called the "sexist, borderline racist" artwork on the bottle.

Happy Ending (a reference to male sexual climax, presumably after a massage) features images on its bottle that include a box of tissues, the face of a man achieving what looks to be the pinnacle of pleasure and the silhouette of a geisha. It all added up to a bit more than the store's beer manager, Adam Vavrick, was comfortable putting on shelves.

"This label is about a female Asian sex worker manually masturbating a man to orgasm and cleaning up the ejaculate with tissues," Vavrick said. "Why is that appropriate on a beer label?"

Original Goose Island brewpub spared after last minute lease deal.

Thanks to juligian, who left this comment on my post Goose Island's original Clybourn brewpub to close ...

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Goose Island toasts 11th-hour deal to keep brew pub open, by Michael Lev, Chicago Tribune reporter (November 12, 2008)

They raised a glass in celebration at Goose Island Beer Co.'s pioneering North Side brew pub Tuesday night: The well-known spot isn't going to close at year's end.

John Hall, Goose Island's founder and chief executive, said he reached a last-minute deal with the pub's landlord to stay at 1800 N. Clybourn Ave. for three to five years, averting the closing of the home for Honker's Ale and other brews. "I'm thrilled," said Hall, who bought everyone in the place a beer. "They called me last week and said we want to try to do a deal. We compromised in a week on something we couldn't do for a long time."

Hall said he couldn't talk for the other side, but he indicated the weak real estate market may have helped get the agreement done. In April, Hall had said that the landlord, CRM Properties Group, had asked for a significant rent increase, reflecting the popularity of the trendy neighborhood. Goose Island was part of a pioneering redevelopment in the North and Clybourn Avenues area. Today, Clybourn Square is surrounded by one of Chicago's hottest retail regions, but the entire economy is now in duress.

Chris Siavelis, an executive at Deerfield-based CRM, couldn't be reached Tuesday night.

Goose Island, which also makes 312 and other brews, was founded as a brew pub in 1988 at the site. The venture was a success, and Goose Island built a stand-alone brewery at 1800 W. Fulton St. in 1995. Since then, the company has focused on retail beer sales, though it has continued to operate two brew pubs.

"We've been in the business for 20 years, and a lot of things have changed," Hall said. "We couldn't be more pleased about reaching an agreement."

Goose Island's original Clybourn brewpub to close by year-end.

The first American brewpub I ever visited, in the spring of 1992, was Goose Island’s original location in Chicago.

Goose Island to close Clybourn spot, by DAVID ROEDER, Chicago Sun-Times staff reporter.

Goose Island Beer Co. said Monday it will close its original brewpub at 1800 N. Clybourn by year-end because it has lost its lease.

The Chicago-based company, founded at the Clybourn site in 1988, will continue to operate its Wrigleyville Brewpub at 3535 N. Clark and to brew and ship beer from 1800 W. Fulton.

There are dim memories of sitting outdoors on the patio, noting the neighborhood’s industrial surroundings, and drinking a sampler platter. I recall being impressed by all of them.

On the same trip to Chicago, we dined and drank at the Berghoff German restaurant downtown and drank dollar-and-a-quarter happy hour Porters made by the Berghoff’s affiliated microbrewery while standing at an adjoining stand-up saloon. As far as I know, all these establishments are gone.

But the losses don’t depress me, because bricks and mortar pale in significance to lessons learned, and in terms of influence, the 1992 journey to Chicago was personally vital. Goose Island’s set-up was a reviving urban area template for the pub brewing business, and the downtown, after-work ambience of the Berghoff’s tiny standup bar another model for enjoying pints on the run.

All of it was good. Thanks to Dave for clueing me in.