Fighting fascism one beer at a time in Kelowna

KELOWNA – Oliver Glasser, owner of Boundary Brewing Company, brewed up a new anti-fascist beer this week on the first anniversary of the shutdown of his Facebook page because of a virulent attack from what he calls “small minded, simpleton neo-Nazis, alt-right losers and fascists.”

More than 16,000 people flooded his Facebook page last year after he posted a video of staff putting up an anti-racist flag in his Kelowna brew house in protest to violent clashes between neo-Nazis and anti-fascist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“I’m not too concerned about any further attempt at their backlash against us,” Glasser told iNFOnews.ca. “They’re simple-minded, small-minded people.”

Besides, he’s put in more protections against the page being overwhelmed.

Last year’s protest, along with threats of a boycott against Boundary Brewing, simply boosted the company’s profile as the story got picked up by national media.

By early afternoon yesterday, Oct. 25, his latest post – a picture of him and two co-workers in front of the same flag and announcing the brewing of his Not for ***** nut brown ale – had drawn more than 5,900 views, 223 likes and 71 loves, along with 70 comments, many of them negative. 

The name of the beer was supposed to be Not for Nazis nut brown ale but the government wouldn’t allow him to register Nazi in the name.

Glasser originally planned to brew a slightly different beer yesterday but changed his mind when he came across the last bottle of last year’s batch of Not For *****.

“It was a really popular beer last year for a number of reasons and one we wanted to do more of in the past,’ he said, adding that he’ll probably make more this winter and take it to the Fest of Ale in Penticton in April.

The flag he put up last year has the anti-fascist wording: “Antifaschistische” and originated with anti-Nazi protesters in the 1930s.

He’s since moved the flag into the brewery so it’s not in full public view, but it is seen by customers walking to his outside patio. It does draw the occasional question and sparks some conversations, he said.

The outcry last year came mostly from Canadian and U.S. right wing groups but, Glasser said, small mindedness and racism can be seen right at home.

In a meeting with a local anti-racism group he heard stories of migrant farm workers living in appalling conditions and of black visitors having feces smeared on their cars. He even had one of his workers, who is of Chinese descent, harassed in a Kelowna public washroom.

“I didn’t start to be a political brewer,” Glasser said, who gets quite worked up when he talks about racists. And he doesn’t scare easily. “I’m a rugby player and I’m a boxer and these people are armchair warriors. So long as people behave themselves they are welcome to have a drink and some conversation.”

The new 420-litre batch of Not for N***** won’t be ready for about six weeks and will only be sold in house on Neave Court near Reid’s Corner in Kelowna.

The beer was made in conjunction with Carannog Ales in Sorrento where it’s known as Auntie Fa (a play on Anti-Fascism).

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