Local brewery turns off the tap for Trump

Local brewery turns off the tap for Trump
Trump Tower in Chicago Flickr/Julian Boed
Local brewery turns off the tap for Trump
Trump Tower in Chicago Flickr/Julian Boed

Local brewery turns off the tap for Trump

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Local microbrewery 5 Rabbit Cerveceria is cutting ties with Chicago’s Trump Tower lounge in ongoing fallout over Donald Trump’s recent comments about Mexican immigrants.

The Latin American-born owners of the Bedford Park brewery had been making a house beer for Trump Tower´s Rebar for the past few months. It was a joint effort with the restaurant’s bar manager, and the relationship had been going well according to 5 Rabbit founder and co-owner Andres Araya.

But after the presidential hopeful characterized Mexican immigrants largely as criminals and “rapists” in a speech earlier this month, Araya and his partners decided to end the relationship.

“We would be doing an injustice to the community we serve (and live in) by engaging in business with someone who does not accept our role in society and expresses a rhetoric of hate and ignorance towards us,” Araya wrote in a statement to WBEZ Monday.

“On a personal level, if I did, one of the things that scares me the most is sending the wrong message to my daughters. We are active members of this immigrant community and we need to stand up for ourselves, and more importantly, for those who do not have the voice or means to do so. The very foundation of the United States of America was built on acceptance and inclusion.  That is what drew us here, and that´s what why we feel so strongly about this.”

“As a company, an integral part of our vision reads that we are ‘not only based in, but also look to promote a strong and positive image of Latin America, its heritage and people.’

It would be hypocritical of us to sustain the relationship.”  

Araya says that the 50 remaining kegs of the summer golden ale will be sold to bars around town under the name “(Expletive) Tu Pelo.”

Trump, who is vying for the Republican presidential nomination, was in town on Monday to give a speech to the City Club of Chicago. Asked if he had any regrets over the comments on Mexico, Trump stood firm. He said that every time he talks about Mexico he’s “accused of being a racist.” Then he cited a figure from the Huffington Post saying that 80 percent of girls smuggled from Central America are raped.

Across the street from the City Club speech, Mexican Americans staged an anti-Trump protest calling him a racist and urging NBC to cut ties with the reality TV star. 

NBC said Monday that it is ending its business relationship with mogul and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump because of comments he made about immigrants during the announcement of his campaign.

NBC said it would no longer air the annual “Miss USA” and “Miss Universe” pageants, which had been a joint venture between the company and Trump. Trump has said he is no longer appearing in the television show “The Apprentice.” NBC said “Celebrity Apprentice” will continue to go on without him.

“At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values. Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump,” NBC said in the statement.

Last week Spanish language network Univision called Trump’s comments “insulting” and announced it will not air the Miss USA pageant next month. Trump is part owner of the pageant and said Monday he still doesn’t know what will happen with that deal.

Monica Eng is a WBEZ producer and co-host of the Chewing The Fat podcast. Follow her at @monicaeng or write to her at meng@wbez.org.

Yolanda Perdomo and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

UPDATE On Tuesday Five Rabbit sent over a list of the restaurants and bars that will serve the beer:

1. A Toda Madre 
2. Bad Apple 
3. Bar On Buena
4. Beer House 
5. Beer Market 
6. Blarney Stone 
7. Burger Antics 
8. Café Salsa 
9. Cellar Door 
10. Dusek’s
11. Farmhouse Evanston 
12. Fat Cat
13. Fishman’s 
14. Gino’s East 
15. Green Lady 
16. Jerry’s Andersonville 
17. Kuma’s Corner 
18. Kuma’s Too
19. Lake Street Kitchen 
20. Links
21. Longman & Eagle 
22. Mama Maria’s 
23. Maria’s Packaged Goods
24. Monks Pub 
25. Moreno’s Liquors
26. Pints 
27. Porkchop
28. Randolph’s Tavern 
29. Riverview Tavern 
30. Roots Handmade Pizza 
31. Sovereign 
32. Standard Market 
33. Stoney Point 
34. Tango Naperville 
35. Tapworks Tavern 
36. The Barrel 
37. The Kinderhook Tap 
38. Village Tap