Beer and Politics: An Introduction
Alcohol and politics have been directly linked since prohibition in the 1920s. Issues dealing with its legality, its effects, and the ways in which it is sold is often the focus on debates when it comes to the idea of beer and politics. Many people find most of their issues with the product itself and do not focus on where it all came from. The Coors Boycott in 1966, which continues still in some social groups today, changed this mindset as politics and beer went further into understanding the manufacturing and labor forces that go into making these products.
Opposition to the Adolph Coors Company mainly centered on three issues. First, the company did not support the organization of labor forces often using a variety of union busting tactics. Second, critics claimed that Coors hiring practices discriminated against Hispanics/Latinos, African-Americans, women, and those of the LGBT community. Finally, members of the Coors family, particularly Joseph Coors, actively supported and funded conservative politicians and organizations that discriminated against the basic rights of their workers.
