Some El Paso residents expressed concern when DeadBeach Brewery hosted Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Feb. 26 during a campaign stop in El Paso.
Abbott visited the brewery ahead of the Texas gubernatorial primary, one of three Texas locations for his campaign’s “Let’s Roll” get-out-the-vote event.
After the tour, some criticized the brewery in the comments section of DeadBeach Brewery’s Instagram account. Some commenters said Abbott does not support the El Paso community and called for a boycott of breweries that host him. Others defended the business, saying it was a private venue that had previously supported Democratic candidates and regularly rented its space for events that benefited employees and the local community.
One commenter, Elizabeth Gomez, wrote that she would no longer patronize the brewery and expressed disappointment with the visit. Her comment was one of several posted on Instagram promoting the Borderland BeerFest, scheduled for April 11.
On Thursday, February 26, Texas Governor Greg Abbott held a campaign stop at DeadBeach Brewery, 3200 Durazno Blvd., El Paso.
Jason Hunt, one of the owners of DeadBeach Brewery, said the business allows people to express different viewpoints and rents out its space to a variety of groups.
“Everyone has the right to have their voice heard,” Hunter said. “I’m not qualified to say one voice is more valid than another. I understand people are upset. It’s really hurtful considering how much I’ve done for the community, but I’m not muting or deleting comments because people have the right to share how they feel.”
Hunt said DeadBeach aims to be an inclusive space that is not aligned with any political party.
“I work very hard to create a safe place for everyone,” he said. “We host community events like the Border Beer Festival and rent out our space to a number of different groups. Over the years, that includes politicians from both parties.”
On Thursday, February 26, Texas Governor Greg Abbott held a campaign stop at DeadBeach Brewery, 3200 Durazno Blvd., El Paso.
Hunter noted that Democratic leaders including U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar and former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke have also held events at the brewery. O’Rourke launches 2022 gubernatorial campaign in Dead Beach.
“We are a safe place for everyone. We just want to make El Paso proud. Try to be a local business that everyone is happy with,” Hunter said. “Our entire team is from El Paso and this community is very important to us.”
Brave Books owner Jud Burgess also commented on the situation in a video posted to his Instagram account, sharing his thoughts on the backlash the brewery has received on social media.
More: Greg Abbott goes the extra mile to keep visits to El Paso, Texas safe
Contact María Cortés González: 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com; @eptmaria.bsky.social on Bluesky and @eptmariacg on TikTok.
This article originally appeared in the El Paso Times: DeadBeach brewery faces backlash after hosting Gov. Abbott
