Independent grog shop chain Blackhearts & Sparrows has confirmed it will no longer stock beers from Colonial Brewing Co after pressure from customers.
The bottle shop, which has stores across inner Melbourne as well as satellite spots in Hobart and the ACT confirmed on Friday night the brewery’s beers would not be sold from the Blackhearts & Sparrows stores anymore.
Blackhearts & Sparrows also confirmed that after internal discussions, all remaining Colonial stock will be sold off, with all profits to be donated to the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance collective. That group played a pivotal role in the organisation of the massive Black Lives Matter protests in both Brisbane and Melbourne earlier this month.
Blackhearts & Sparrows co-founder Paul Ghaie told PEDESTRIAN.TV they’ve had discussions with the brewery in the past about the name, and made the decision “in light of recent events both within Australia and around the world, alongside conversations with customers who have reached out with concerns.”
Many who responded to this move by Blackhearts & Sparrows expressed confusion around the brewery’s name, noting that it made them uncomfortable to see it in beer fridges across the country.
“This is so good!!!!!!” one person tweeted. “I used to get so uncomfortable when I saw it the fridge!!!!”
“I always thought it was a really weird choice, naming-wise,” another said.
Colonial Beer Co has been brewing beer in Western Australia’s Margaret River region since 2004, and in Port Melbourne since 2015.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has also reached out to Colonial Beer Co for comment.
