Threes Brewing CEO Steps Down After Anti-Vaccine Mandate Messages

Kayla Levy
Updated ·2 min read

BROOKLYN, NY — Threes Brewing's co-founder and CEO is stepping down from the company's helm Tuesday after a public backlash to his claim that COVID-19 vaccine mandates are a "crime against humanity."

"Josh Stylman has made the decision to step down from his position as CEO, effective immediately," the brewery said in a statement.

"He believes that his fiduciary responsibilities as CEO of Threes Brewing are in conflict with his duties as a parent and a citizen and is choosing to be able to speak his mind without concern that the team at Threes will be held responsible for his personal views," the statement reads.

Brooklynites — outraged by the Stylman's repeated comparison of vaccine mandates and policies of the Jim Crow South and Nazi Germany — disavowed the brewery last month (some even calling for Stylman's resignation), but most are ready to support Threes again.

"I'm so relieved," said Siobhan Greene, a New York City healthcare worker whose plan to have her wedding at Threes' flagship location was up in the air after Stylman's statements.

"My preference would be that he no longer profits from the company, but I'm pleased that he's no longer the face of the company or the one making decisions," said Greene, noting that the Threes statement doesn't clarify if Stylman is retaining an ownership stake in the company.

Patch reached out to Threes for comment on this question, but the brewery didn't immediately respond. Jared Cohen, Threes' current COO, will step in as CEO, according to the brewery's statement.

Ian Levenstein, a Threes customer who told Patch he would buy other beers as long as Stylman represented the brewery, thinks that this decision is for the best.

"Threes will be better off without him to confuse their company's actual message and quality," Levenstein told Patch in a written statement. "If the customer does come first, so should their safety."

News of Stylman's stepping down comes as Eric Adams considers removing indoor vaccination requirements altogether — a decision that's spurred its own backlash from some health experts.

Seth Pollack, a loyal Threes customer who was disappointed by Stylman's statements, thinks the timing is ironic ("seems like exactly what the CEO wanted," he told Patch in a written statement), but is mostly just relieved to go back to his neighborhood brewery.

"I’m glad I can go back to the bar without wondering whether the CEO will be there spouting conspiracy theories," he said.

Threes Brewing, on its part, is also ready to open its doors to returning customers.

"The quality of the product and our company values remain the same as before," the brewery said in its statement. "Our doors are open and we look forward to welcoming you in for a beer soon."

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This article originally appeared on the Park Slope Patch