Black is Beautiful, a new craft beer released this week in Philadelphia, was produced by Pennsylvania’s first Black-owned breweries, Harris Family Brewery and Two Locals Brewing, and its only Black maltster, from Double Eagle Malt. They collaborated with Kevin and Melissa Walter, owners of Love City Brewing, to create this beer as a fundraiser for Black Lives Matter Philly.
Scott Broussard, maltster and co-owner of Double Eagle Malt, said about the project: “I am so proud of our industry for uniting against hate and bigotry, and we at Double Eagle are proud to do our part to support those working so hard to demand change in our community.”
The Black is Beautiful project is a nationwide brewing movement to raise funds for social justice causes and start deep conversations over cold beers. The movement was started by Weathered Souls Brewing Company, a Black-owned brewery in San Antonio, TX. This particular collaboration is one of the only in the country to bring together Black owners, brewers, and makers throughout the supply chain.
The beer recipe, an imperial stout, has been shared widely and has been brewed by almost a thousand breweries to date. The Pennsylvania collaborators gathered on June 20 to brew the recipe at Love City’s brewing facility. They decided to amplify the taste by adding a hint of toasted coconut.
Richard Koilor, owner of Two Locals Brewing, said, “As black brewers, this beer meant everything to us. This beer exemplifies everything that we want to stand for as a brewery and business to help uplift the black community.”
Tim White of Harris Family Brewing, said: “This project was a great opportunity to come together to do our part to fight and stand up for what’s right. We had planned to open our brewery in early 2020, but were delayed by COVID-19. We are happy to be able to share the Black is Beautiful brew with the public in the meantime.”
The beer will be available as a limited release on July 15, 2020, with future barrel-aged releases to come. The beer can be purchased at the Love City Brewing taproom, located at 1023 Hamilton Street in
Philadelphia, or by ordering via their online store here.
All proceeds from this beer will be donated to Black Lives Matter Philly. The group is excited about the project and issued the following statement in support:
“Every person is entitled to justice, equity, and freedom. For far too long, these rights have been in the grasp of the few when they belong in the hands of us all. If we are to embody the ideals we profess to cherish, then it is our duty to fight for these rights until every person has them.
Equality must be won, and we must win it together. We have nothing to lose but our chains.
If you are new to recognizing the beauty that arises from overcoming oppression, welcome to the resistance…
If you shine through repression, denial, and doubt, you radiate the resistance…
If you fight through fear, exhaustion, and overwhelming odds for freedom, you are the resistance.
Fists up. Bottoms up.
Black. Is. Beautiful.
BLM Philly”
