Welcome back to L.A. TACO's column, “Dr. Beer Butch,” where Professor Hidalgo examines L.A.’s craft beer scene using her background in academia, LGBTQ, and [real] eastside L.A. culture.
[dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap] arrived early at All Season Brewing, the new mid-city brewery where I met Frances Cannon, the Los Angeles County Brewers Guild's Executive Director. The county had just moved into the purple tier, and more breweries could now serve pints outdoors. I spotted her talking to Erick García, the head brewer at All Season and the Guild’s newest member.
Members of the L.A. County Brewers Guild regard Cannon as the figurehead of their independent brewery family. Like a cousin, “tita” (Filipina auntie), or even “beer mom,” she acts as a clearinghouse for fast-changing information about openings and makes sure new members meet older ones. When emails and texts flood her phone, Cannon sifts through them all, making sure to communicate the most urgent news to everyone in the Guild, even when it’s hard to deliver.
Various city and county officials know Cannon as a fierce advocate for the industry she loves and cares about: local, independent craft breweries. If you love craft beer in L. A.—even if you’re not a drinker or don’t care much for breweries—you should know about Frances Cannon and why her work matters to our communities.