Other Brother Beer Co. ends relationship with trivia host over use of racial slur.

Other Brother Beer Co. in Seaside has ended its contract with Tuesday night trivia host JD Bates after Bates used a racial slur during the game on Tuesday, March 21.

According to Other Brother co-founder and Operations Manager Michael Nevares, who was out of town at the time (Co-Founder Evan Loewy was onsite, though not within earshot), the incident occurred during a question that involved the lyrics to a song by American rapper Dr. Dre, which Bates quoted in full. After a trivia night attendee approached Bates to let him know the word made them uncomfortable he repeated the question, once again using the slur.

At this point, Nevares says, a bartender let Loewy know what was happening and he “literally pulled the plug,” abruptly ending trivia night.

Other Brother has since officially “terminated” the company’s relationship with Bates, letting him know via email that “we will not be requiring his services moving forward,” Nevares says. Bates declined to comment.

Other Brother shared news of the incident on its Instagram page. “This type of language and behavior is very much unacceptable and is NOT in alignment with Other Brother’s core values and beliefs, going against our intent to provide a safe, comfortable and inclusive environment for the entire community,” the post reads. “We are devastated that this happened in the community space we’ve worked so passionately to build for all to enjoy.”

It was “definitely a learning moment,” Nevares says, adding that he’s “happy with how our response was received.”

Other Brother’s Tuesday trivia nights have become a popular gathering spot in the past year-plus—so much so that Tuesday night business is now comparable to a Friday in the bar’s Broadway Avenue taproom. “We have a lot of regulars—it’s become a pretty crucial thing for the community and for our business,” Nevares told the Weekly in a story about local trivia nights earlier this month. “Our staff is definitely making more money in tips on those nights.”

The good news for both trivia lovers and bartenders is that the brewery is not going to miss a beat. Nevares says they’ve signed a contract with the company King Trivia, which provides questions and hires local quizmasters to host trivia at bars across the country, including XL Public House in Salinas. 

It’ll likely be a little different, Nevares admits. As much as Other Brother liked supporting a local independent contractor, for now this is “a little safer of an option.” The first trivia night under the new system will take place Tuesday, March 28.