The Armed Forces Brewing Company in Norfolk, Virginia, has filed a $50 million lawsuit against locals who it says led a “coordinated pressure campaign” that forced the premise’s closure.
The military-themed brewery moved from Maryland to Virginia in 2023, and was swiftly criticized by community members who took issue with the brand’s far-right-wing messaging. Little over a year after opening its doors, CEO Alan Beal announced that the brewery was moving operations, blaming its pivot on a “local woke mob,” despite legal filings revealing financial issues.
On Monday, lawyers representing AFBC filed a defamation suit that took aim at a wide net of locals. Defendants mentioned in the suit include Andrew Coplon, founder of Craft Beer Professionals, freelance photojournalist Zach D. Roberts and political activist group Citizens for a Better Norfolk. The suit claims that the parties made false and derogatory statements that eroded AFBC’s relationship with local vendors, event operators and investors…