Hello, my beautiful Mutants š!
With the 4th anniversary of Mutantis officially behind me now, I wanted to talk a little bit about the future. Y’all know things have been challenging and uncertain, so I’m sure some are curious about what’s coming.
Current State of Things
First, let me be honest about something: up until the election, I was taking my first steps toward trying to sell the brewery.
Things are…not good. It’s taking everything I can give just to keep hanging on by my fingernails. I work 7 days a week with basically no life, and I make so little money that I am constantly behind on bills. I am also dangerously behind on various regulatory compliance tasks. With the current economic environment unlikely to improve, I don’t see a way to make things better. Even a big cash infusion would do little more than slow the bleeding.
The “savvy business move” would be to cut my losses and try to find a better career.
HOWEVER–the incoming administration poses a MASSIVE threat to the transgender community, even here in Portland. The It Could Happen Here podcast episode from November 10th can give you a better idea of what I’m talking about, if you don’t know. Community organization for mutual aid and support is going to be crucial for survival in the coming years, particularly in offline spaces.
I see an opportunity to use this brewery to facilitate that.
As one of the only (maybe THE only) fully trans-owned-and-operated “3rd places” in Portland, Mutantis is just about the safest place for trans folks to get together. Maybe not the most accessible, being tucked away in a quiet neighborhood in NE, but nowhere’s perfect!
Rather than taking the gamble of trying to sell the business at a massive loss, then look for a new career at a time when job opportunities are likely to be even scarcer, I’m going to try to stick it out! I may fail–things are going to get much worse and much harder–but this captain is committed to going down with her ship.
Plan for 2025
I am shifting the mission of Mutantis. Brewing great gluten-free, oat-free, vegan beer is still my main activity here, but supporting my queer and trans community is the reason to keep it going. No more “never brew the same recipe twice” model–I’m switching to a permanent year-round lineup of past favorites. I am updating the can artwork, changing a few names, and tweaking a few recipes, but these are all beers people have loved and asked about bringing back. They are:
- Hop Gloss Silk IPA
- Mango Hazy IPA
- Disco Italiano Pilsner
- Funnel Cake Cream Ale (2023 version)
- PiƱa Colada Sour Chicha (inspired by my most popular smoothie sour)
- Luna Lagoon Tropical Stout
- Light ‘Em Up Light Beer (an unhopped version of Doom Loop Light, with hibiscus to make it a pretty pink)
- Gender Fluid Sour Saison (I couldn’t resist the name; it’s a variation on 2023’s Acid Test Sour Saison)
This will make it easier for me to plan my raw material orders, eliminate waste, and improve the regular availability of my beers. The “one and done” approach has often led to wasted cans if a beer sells more on draft than in cans, or running out of cans while draft remains available.
There are still a couple of limited releases in the pipeline, because I got REALLY ahead of myself ordering printed cans. A new hard seltzer, Saturation Point: Golden Plum, and WHAT?! Double IPA will be coming near the end of this year. So it will be a gradual transition to the new permanent lineup, most likely being complete by April of 2025.
Community Building
Aside from the change in brewing, I am going to be putting as much energy as I can toward organizing or supporting other organizations that are focused on protecting trans rights and access to gender-affirming care. I will be planning more events specifically geared toward building LGBTQIA2S+ community, and working to create opportunities for those outside the community to support, contribute resources, and learn about the struggles that we queer and trans folks are facing (and what they can do to help).
Presently, there are a couple queer/trans-centric recurring events/programs here:
- Kinky Cult Bingo every Friday starting at 6:30, $5 suggested donation but NOTAFLOF, and late arrivals welcome
- Queer & Trans Community Meetup on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month, starting at 5:30 PM (active allies are welcome, too)
- 4th Sunday Trans Socials organized by Greater Portland Trans Unity, 1-4 PM on the 4th Sunday of every month. Note: the future of these for 2025 is in question, but I will likely keep them going myself even if the organizers decide to go a different direction!
- Free Clothes for Queer & Trans People are available during all my open hours! Donations are welcome! For (clean and sanitary) items beyond clothes, donations will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Any excess donations beyond what I can keep organized will be distributed to other local charitable organizations.
I continue to welcome any and all other event organizers looking for a modestly-sized space to host LGBTQIA2S+ events!
Concluding Thoughts
Let me be clear that anyone who supports LGBTQIA2S+ rights is welcome here at Mutantis, whether you belong to the community or not, but this is absolutely not a politically-neutral space. Anyone who supports politicians or policies threatening our rights and access to care is explicitly not welcome. Mutantis is already the most visibly-queer brewery in Portland (if not the entire country), and the more our rights are attacked, the louder and queerer I intend to make this brewery!