A Disheartening Encounter with Rogue Brewery: My Experience

Hello, fellow readers! Today, I’m excited to share my personal experience with Rogue Brewery, which was sadly not a pleasant one. Although I’ve encountered numerous discussions about the brewery’s reputation online, I felt it was high time to contribute my perspective.

A few years ago, I found myself employed at Rogue, albeit for a brief and tumultuous period. My role placed me in their warehouse located in southeast Portland—a setting that was far from ideal. The working environment was far from clean, and the overall atmosphere left much to be desired. The sales and marketing team operated there, tirelessly pushing overpriced merchandise and attempting to manage a bottle shop alongside fermenting grains. It was during this time that I witnessed the late Jack Joyce, the founder, who would frequently retreat to a dimly-lit corner of the warehouse to berate employees while chain-smoking and sipping coffee.

My position held the rather peculiar title of “assassin”—a term that, even now, I struggle to comprehend. I earned a mere $12 an hour, handling data entry, organizing paperwork, and sending out mass emails promoting their latest dubious beer concoctions aimed at unsuspecting consumers in the Midwest. Just two weeks before Christmas, I was terminated from my position for what they deemed insufficient “Rogue-ness.” This vague dismissal left me unemployed during the holidays and grappling with my financial situation.

One of the more disheartening practices I noticed during my time there was the company’s aversion to investing in legitimate software. Paying for software licenses was considered “too corporate,” leading to the use of pirated versions of important tools like Microsoft Office. Furthermore, they made do with a restricted number of SalesForce logins shared among all employees—a clear violation of legal standards.

Feeling compelled to take action, I reached out to the Business Software Alliance (BSA), Microsoft, and SalesForce to report these irregularities. After filing my complaint, I pushed it to the back of my mind, focusing on moving forward with my career.

To my surprise, six months later, I received a thank-you letter along with a check for $1,672 from the BSA, which I believe was a portion of the fine imposed on Rogue for their infractions. I used this unexpected windfall to whisk my boyfriend away to the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, where we indulged in laughter, relaxation, and unforgettable moments—an ironic twist that felt like a