More than three years later, Moen still gets emotional thinking about that day.
“That was at a time when we didn’t really know if we were going to be alive,” Moen said. “Certainly there were people in our community that — especially visiting a soup kitchen — weren’t able to get food.
“It was an interesting thing to work through together. I come from a legal background where our profession is often called upon to impact policy and change. But I don’t know that I ever felt it as I have as a brewery owner in being able to actually instil people to a certain call to action at a time when crisis was upon us, and I feel that’s a privilege.”
Moen originally laughed at the idea of beer being considered an essential business during the pandemic. It was obviously good for 9 Mile to be able to stay open. However, Moen saw it as more than that. Like most of the craft brewing industry, he embraces being part of the social fabric.
“If you’re just there spending high dollars on marketing and cramming what you’re doing down people’s throats, it’s not resilient. It’s not fulfilling,” Moen said. “Being a community driver and a community builder gives you that higher sense of purpose.”
