This Craft Brewery Is Taking A Stand Against Pauline Hanson
"Someone's gotta reign Pauline Hanson in."
Not content with ruining politics, Pauline Hanson now wants to ruin beer. The One Nation leader has announced she’s keen to launch her own craft beer line. Pauline’s Queensland Bitter, maybe?
But it turns out there’s already a craft brew named after Hanson, though she might not super keen on it. The team behind Melbourne’s East 9th Brewing company have decided to use their Fog City cider to protest the notoriously anti-immigration politician.
The cider is labelled “I’d Swap Pauline For A Refugee” and according to the company’s brewing director, Josh Lefers, it’s about “lobbying Pauline Hanson, her inhumane refugee policies, and every person with beliefs like hers.”
The Fog City label.
Lefers told Junkee that taking their political views and slapping them on their brews was a natural “extension of what we believe and how we think”.
“We’re really not that satisfied about a lot of the sentiments and beliefs out there in the world in the moment,” he said. “Everyone’s keen to bash Trump, and don’t get me wrong, so am I, but this is about the local element. Someone’s gotta rein Pauline Hanson in.”
The guys behind the brewery — Lefers, Stephen Wools and Benjamin Cairns — have some strong political views and don’t hold back. The Fog City feature a range of political slogans including “Still Hate Tony Abbott” and “Shut Up Govt. Of Course It’s A Yes To Gay Marriage”. But Hanson’s policies, and immigration policy more generally, has really got them riled up.
Josh Lefers, Stephen Wools, and Benjamin Cairns from East 9th Brewing.
“I think our immigration policy is appalling, what our government is doing is inhumane, appalling and disgusting,” Lefers said.
“Our ambition is to put forward our beliefs in an enjoyable way. We’ve had an awesome response from customers but also a hilarious response from some Hanson supporters asking us ‘What’s booze got to do with politics?'”
“I don’t mind it though,” Lefers told Junkee. “They’re welcome to their views.”
The cider itself is a cloudy apple and pear brew and the fruit is gathered locally. The company is proud of its progressive ethos and according to Lefers “Pauline Hanson is the antithesis of the brand, the stark opposite of it.”
“But we’ll probably end up sending her some bottles,” he said.