In Ukraine, One Brewery Takes on Putin, Politics with its Beer Labels

The lights flash crimson and blue as the multi-piece brass band blares out Balkan gypsy jams and Adele cover songs in the Pravda Beer Theater. All around, locals and tourists sip their beers and wiggle emphatically along with the groove. At one point, a man hands out hundreds of plastic bottles to bang on the tables and the crowd creates a cacophony of self-made percussion as the band builds to a crescendo. In the hollowed-out middle of the venue, the brewers check the kettles and tend to the engine that drives this nightly celebration: A constant flow of excellent craft beer.