Brewery workers

Are workers in US breweries allowed to drink beer during working hours? Do some breweries allow their employees to drink as much as they want? I read somewhere that Coors brewery allows their employees to drink as much beer as they want and apparently have the lowest accident rate of any US brewery? Is any of this correct?

I spent three or four summers working at the Anheuser Busch brewery in St. Louis when I was in college. That fresh smell of hops in the air…mmmmm…

From my experience I can tell you that we were most definitely NOT allowed to drink beer while we were working - they were quite clear about it. There was a discount for beer you purchased, but there weren’t fridges full of cold beer for the taking. The only “free beer” perk, (aside from drinking for free with all your co-workers at any bar in Soulard Market), was a single case of AB beer of your choosing each month. One case per month.

They treated alcoholism very seriously, and had on-site counseling for anyone with a problem. In the time I was there, I don’t remember anyone getting fired for drinking too much or drinking on the job - I just don’t think it happens that much. They take pride in what they do.

Plus, most of the workers don’t work closely with the finished product - it’s not like you can scoop a glass into a mash or wort tank and drink the contents, or grab a (not cold) bottle from the bottling lines.

I have never heard of that story about Coors and their accident rate, but I can’t imagine that it is true. Cite?

The Spoetzle Brewery in Shiner, Tx. allowed it up until the early 90’s. They had a hospitality bar where anyone could come in and drink for free, including workers on breaks. A fun stop when I was in college.

Now they give you a wooden coin worth one beer.

The Pearl Brewery in San Antonio also allowed the workers to drink at lunch until the early ninteys. I used to go in there with a eighteen wheeler to pick up pallets of near beer, and everyone’s attitude was always a lot more laid back after the lunch break. It was kind of entertaining watching a dozen or so guys wearing green company uniforms speeding back and forth on forklifts on a big loading dock shooting around the packaging machines. I never saw anyone have an accident or ever appear to have had one too many.

An ex-girlfriend of mine told me probably back in the 80’s about Coopers or Fosters workers were up in arms because their daily allowance of something like 6 pints at work and 6 to take home was being cut back. Any truth to this or just a stereotype of beer swilling Aussies?

When I took a tour of the Kokanee brewery a couple years back I’m pretty sure they said the workers could drink during lunch.

I do remember saying they give every fulltime employee 2 cases a month… or something like that.

The only way you’ll get a complete answer to this question is if employees from ever brewery in America (or the world) post in. I happen to know for a fact that there are some breweries where employees get free beer during breaks, some where they did but don’t any more, and some where they don’t and never did.

When Stroh’s was still brewed in Detroit (and before the acoholism “consciousness raising” of the 1970s), the workers were allowed a free beer during breaks. (I think it may have even made it into the contract.)

I have no idea whether Stroh’s still has any similar policy.

I work for a subsidiary of Fosters. At the brewery, they have what is called “barro” as I believe it is called. On your break, you can just go and pour yourself a pot (the name for the glass size most usually drunk in my state) in the canteen. Fosters are being pressured to end the practice as they are being accused of promoting a culure of heavy drinking among their workers.t

“Strohs” doesn’t have any policies on anything what so ever, because the “Stroh Brewing Company” no longer exists:(
The company was bought out by Heilemans, which was then taken over by Pabst. Pabst brews nothing! They used to brew beer, but not any more! All of the beers brewed under the Pabst label are brewed remotely, under contract by other brewers. So, when you buy a case of “stroh’s” beer, it may say “Strohs” on the label, it may even say “Storh Brewing company” on the mandate, but it is in fact being brewed by Pabst, but not really by Pabst, but by an unknown brewer that Pabst is paying to brew it. Who and where Pabst brand beers are being bred I’m not exactly sure. The facts are a little fuzzy about that, but I’m working on it.

But who/where ever they are, I hope they get to drink a free cold one during their breaks. After reading what I just typed, i need a drink too!

Miller brews Pabst…

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/rednews/2001/07/25/build/business/biz2.php