The management of the High Falls Brewing Company does not think very highly of the citizens of its home city. They think we’re simple, maybe stupid even, with the reasoning skills of small children. They are also very disappointed in us as customers.

High Falls ran a full-page advertisement in this week’s issue of City Newspaper (and, I’m told, the Democrat and Chronicle as well) that purports to be a personal letter from President and CEO Norman Snyder to the citizens of Rochester. Now, most people wouldn’t read 7 long paragraphs of 6-point type. I did, and it pissed me off. Over the course of the letter ‘Snyder’ offers platitudes about how much he loves it here, patronizes us with his own simplification of economics, attempts to convince us that his is a craft brewery, and reprimands us for not buying locally enough.

“The Brewery’s Payroll, which is in excess of $18 million, makes a significant contribution to the local economy,” ‘Snyder’ writes. “Our employees pay taxes, purchase automobiles, clothing, groceries and other goods from local companies.” Well, duh. What’s the underlying message here? Is it that, if we don’t buy enough Genny Light, the brewery will be forced to reduce that potential pool of local economic contributors? It kinda reminds me of how PBS used to threaten to pull Sesame Street off the air if they didn’t receive enough viewer contributions.

That’s just hamfisted copy. The more inscencing thing for me is the complete hypocrisy of what the letter goes on to state:

“When you buy the beer in the blue can, you are supporting an economy whose currency is now on par with our own. When you buy the beer in the red can, you are helping the big get bigger. Every time you buy the beer in the silver or gold can, you are not buying the local beer or supporting local jobs.

The next time you order a beer, please consider that some of the best beer brewed in this country is brewed right here in Rochester, New York. Take Pride in Rochester! Take Pride in your local brewery! Take Pride in our products! But please remember to always be responsible.”

Well, Norm, I’ll take that final piece of advice. I don’t think High Falls Brands, excuse me, High Falls Brewing Company, is our brewery anymore. Not when I’m sitting at my hometown baseball stadium, within sight of your building, and the Rohrbach Brewing Company has ten times the retail presence as High Falls. Not when it’s ten times easier to get the beers of Honeoye Falls’ Custom Brewcrafters than a bottle of good ol’ Genesee Lager. Not when you try to pass of Honey Brown as a ‘craft beer.’ Not when you toss aside your locally born and bred Head Brewer, the guy who won a bunch of the awards you alluded to earlier in your ‘personal plea.’

As a local consumer who should ‘always be responsible,’ I will make sure to support local brewery employees and local jobs. I will not buy the beer in the red can. I will not buy the beer in the blue can, or the silver.

I’ll buy the beer that doesn’t come in a can at all.

-Mark