A SAFE PLACE TO HAVE FUN
Recently I was given the assignment of being an Ethnographer. I had to dive deep into a world and report my findings. I did everything from visiting Craft Breweries to interviewing people. Being a fan of craft beers, gave me some insight into what I would end up seeing.
For as long as I have been drinking beer, I mostly did it at home. Even when I wasnt of age, I wouldn’t go out with friends and hang out in a parking lots pressuring field workers to buy us beer in return they could keep the change. I was more interested in the beer that I might be able to get in the fridge or liquor cabinet. Never sure what my parents thought about that or if they every really knew. I think they did.
When I arrived at the first brewery, I tried looking for the “craft brewer fan.” I was looking for the “type.” That was my initial failure, there wasnt a type. In fact, the only type I found, was “beer fan.” That was all of us in line, and some of us in line since 3 AM. The place would not open till 11:30AM. After all, we are not alcoholics wanting it open any sooner. Though that would have been great.
There are alot of tough guys at bars. Men looking to start fights. At this brewery (Russian River Brewing Company), men and women were enjoying great beer and each other. This brewery wasnt a place to come and get drunk, it was a place to come and enjoy the art of the beer. I don’t know how often I have been judged, but I can say with confidence that at Russian River I wasn't judged at all it was safe.
These places are really fun. There are some bars that do not cater to the beer lovers and I don’t have fun there. I can’t enjoy a beer there. I find it strange, because not liking a place is one thing, but when you cant enjoy the beer, that is another. The beer taste is almost affected by where I am at. Sometimes it is even the same exact beer, and even then, it is not as enjoyable as in a friendly safe enviornement.
When I interviewed the people for my research paper, I chose people that had some knowledge in beer. More important than the knowledge in beer, I wanted people that had been to many craft breweries. I wanted them to go into their memory bank and look at all the times they went to a brewery. They mostly enjoyed beer at home. But they never felt judged at a craft brewery. They also never felt like there would be any fights or incidents that would put them in danger. Where everything came together was when I asked them specific questions. Who goes to a craft brewery, and is there a type? Do you like going out to bars? Where do you like to drink, and why? They both had similar answers, they love to drink at home, its around family and they can be with each other. They felt like they wouldn’t have anything to worry about. They felt like the craft brewery fan was anyone and everyone. There isn’t a look. That is what they loved. They hated bars but they liked brewries. All of this says one thing, we enjoy what we like the most when we feel the safest.
Some beers can cater to people from socio-economic status. Some beers want to avoid those very little money. Most craft brewery are in well to do cities and neighborhoods. There isn’t a craft brewery in east San Jose.
