Fall Brews and Views Lineup at Half Moon Bay Brewing Company

The Half Moon Bay Brewing Company announces the return of Brews and Views this fall, a monthly, and sometimes bi-monthly, event that invites members of the community to join organizers for a cold brew and a fresh view on American politics. After a brief summer hiatus, Brews and Views is back with a fresh fall lineup that includes a documentary about race relations, the founder of the Not For Sale campaign against human trafficking, and special guests discussing the conservation of marine life and our oceans.

Brews and Views was created in November 2009 by co-owner of the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, Lenny Mendonca, who is also director of the San Francisco and Washington, D.C. offices of McKinsey & Company. For Mendonca, who grew up listening to Commonwealth Club forums on NPR, it’s an ideal way to involve the public in discussions about everything from economic development to social issues.

When asked about what continues to drive Mendonca to produce the speakers’ series, he said, “Brews and Views has been an exciting opportunity for me to help bring world-class speakers to the coast and engage in a rich and deep conversation about pivotal issues facing all of us.”

The often politically-charged events feature an initial conversation between the guest speaker and moderator, or a film screening, after which the public are invited to participate in a lengthy Q&A session.  Previous notable guests include renowned forecaster Paul Saffo, managing director of foresight at Discern Analytics; Charles Kolb, president of the Committee for Economic Development; Mike McCurry, former press secretary for President Bill Clinton; Gina Giantz, political organizer and chair of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund; and professor and activist Aaron Belkin, author of “How We Won: Progressive Lessons From the Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’”

FALL BREWS AND VIEWS SCHEDULE

September 5: “Dinner and a Movie” screening of The First Generation, the story of four California students who are the first in their families to attend college and the challenges and frustrations they face.  There will be a discussion immediately following the screening with Michael John Ahern, award-winning local teacher, musician and inventor who was also named teacher of the year in 2013 by the Los Altos/Mountain View school district, about what we can do as a community to help students reach the finish line. 6-8:30 p.m., Mavericks Event Center, 107 Broadway, Half Moon Bay;  $ 21 per person* includes dinner, tax and gratuity. *A small service fee will also apply. For tickets, please visit: http://hmbbrewingco.inticketing.com/events/341353

October 3: The Half Moon Bay Brewing company is honored to screen the short documentary Living Room Revolution followed by a discussion with the film’s directors Mary Webb and Dana Shaw. As the film follows a diverse group of people who engage in dialogues about race, the discussion following the film will address the task of inspiring others to start their own race discussion groups in order to break down racial barriers. 6-8:00 p.m., Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, 390 Capistrano Road, Half Moon Bay; Admission and snacks are complimentary; beer, wine and full menu available for purchase.

November 7: Lenny Mendonca will participate in a discussion with the president and founder of the Not For Sale campaign, David Batstone. In 2001, Bastone discovered that his favorite Bay Area restaurant had been the center of a local human trafficking ring. Since then he has made it his mission to create a world where no one is for sale. His discussion with Lenny Mendonca will discuss how he is fighting modern slavery around the globe using business creation, supply chain evaluation and aftercare aid.  6-8:00 p.m., Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, 390 Capistrano Road, Half Moon Bay; Admission and snacks are complimentary; beer, wine and full menu available for purchase.

November 19:  The topic at hand will be the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) efforts to conserve our oceans.  Ever since the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company’s opening in 2000, this issue has been especially important as the restaurant overlooks the San Mateo County coast and only serves seafood that adheres to the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Program.  At this special Brews and Views, Lenny Mendonca will be joined by Margaret Spring, the NOAA Undersecretary VP of Conservation and Science, and William Douros, the West Coast Regional Director of the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, to discuss the future of our oceans. 6-8:00 p.m., Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, 390 Capistrano Road, Half Moon Bay; Admission and snacks are complimentary; beer, wine and full menu available for purchase.

Ten percent of the proceeds from all dinner sales at Half Moon Bay Brewing Company for these events will be donated to the Cabrillo Education Foundation. To make a reservation or inquire about future Brews and Views topics please call 650-728-2739 or visit www.hmbbrewingco.com.

Previous Brews and Views are playing as a series on local television station, PCTV on Channel 27, Monday nights at 7pm. For additional videos, visit HMB Media at http://www.youtube.com/user/HMBMediaProductions

Lenny Mendonca is a director (senior partner) in the Washington D.C. and San Francisco offices of McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm.

Lenny is currently the leader of McKinsey’s U.S. state and local public sector practice.  For many years Lenny led the Firm’s knowledge development efforts overseeing the McKinsey Global Institute and the Firm’s communications, which includes the McKinsey Quarterly, and has served for a decade on the McKinsey Shareholder Council (its board of directors). His client work focuses on service to public sector organizations, and over the course of his career he has helped dozens of government, corporate, and nonprofit clients solve their most difficult management challenges.

Lenny is the Chairman Emeritus of the Bay Area Council and the Economic Institute of the Bay Area, and was vice-chair of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council.  He serves on the boards of The New America Foundation, The Committee for Economic Development, Common Cause, the Bay Area Science and Innovation Consortium, and The California Business for Educational Excellence Foundation.  He is Chairman of ChildenNow, and he is co-Chairman of California Forward.  He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and founder and chairman of Fuse Corps.

He received his MBA and certificate in public management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.  He holds an AB, magna cum laude, in economics from Harvard College.

ABOUT THE HALF MOON BAY BREWING COMPANY
Recently selected by Travel + Leisure magazine as one of America’s Best Beach Bars, the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company is situated on picturesque Pillar Point Harbor overlooking the Marina in Princeton-by-the Sea. The Brewing Company expertly pairs a family-friendly, come-as-you-are atmosphere with a winning combination of fresh, sustainable seafood, craft beers, live music and an expansive, dog-friendly patio area with blazing fire pits to keep patrons warm on the waterfront. The Brewing Company is a casual coastal venue that has become an institution in the Half Moon Bay area for locals and visitors alike since opening in 2000. With its warm, wood-toned interior, expansive windows to the ocean, and walls dotted with surf memorabilia, the 6,000-square-foot restaurant and bar is reminiscent of a typical California surf shack. Behind the restaurant lie the 1,200 square-foot Mavericks Beer Garden and on-site brewery, where hand-crafted, award-winning Mavericks® Beers & Ales are piped directly to the bar. The Mavericks Amber Ale won a bronze medal in the 2012 World Beer Cup, and the Ocho Barril Saison won Best in Show for session beers and the gold medal in the Wood/Smoke Ale category in June, 2013.

The Half Moon Bay Brewing Company is located at 390 Capistrano Road in Princeton-by-the-Sea, Calif. The hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to close; Friday, 11:30 a.m. to close; Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00 a.m. to close. To book a reservation, please call 650-728-BREW (2739) or visit OpenTable.com. Additional information may be found at www.hmbbrewingco.com.