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Johanna Lortsher, whose title at AZ Wilderness Brewing Company is Head of People, had only been on the job for a few weeks when the social media posts started to appear. In 2021, a series of allegations about the brewery, its owners and employees who had harassed or intimidated female employees were shared on Instagram.
Lortsher had worked as a human resources manager and consultant before she joined AZ Wilderness, and she was aware of some of the previous allegations made about the brewery. In May 2021, Brienne Allan, then the production manager at Notch Brewing, had posted to ask her Instagram followers, “What sexist comments have you experienced?” Allan posted the answers she received, some of which included AZ Wilderness, and all of which brought to light a dark side of the brewing industry.