3 Local Breweries Team Up To Brew 'Black Is Beautiful' Beer To Help Fight Racial Injustice
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As the nation continues to deal with racial injustice, three area breweries have teamed up to help the cause.
"Black is Beautiful," Harris Family Brewery co-owner Shaun Harris said.
Black Is Beautiful is an imperial stout with a 10% ABV and is infused with toasted coconut, but it's much more than the latest release from Love City Brewing.
"It's a very small way that a brewery like ours can show support for Black people and people of color," Love City Brewing co-owner Melissa Walter said.
"It's brewers across the nation doing our part to bring attention to things like police brutality and different social wrongs that need to be righted," Harris said.
Love City Brewing in Philadelphia's Callowhill neighborhood teamed up with Philly-based Two Locals Brewing Company and Harrisburg-based Harris Family Brewing for the collaboration.
Two Locals Brewing Company is Philly's first Black-owned brewery. Harris Family Brewing is Pennsylvania's first Black-owned brewery.
1,000+ breweries around the world are brewing #BlackIsBeautiful beer. It's the brain child of @WeatheredSouls_ in TX to bring racial justice. The Philly release is happening today at @lovecitybrewing. It's a collab w/ Two Locals and @HFBrewery_. See the story on @CBSPhilly at 4! pic.twitter.com/iorpsf5pll
— Howard Monroe (@HMonroeNews) July 15, 2020
"Together, we're stronger and I don't think the idea of social justice reform is to separate the races," Two Locals Brewing Company co-owner Mengistu Koilor said. "It's to highlight these injustices and hopefully, people will come on board and see that this is a human issue."
"Collaboration I think is the only way that we're all going to get through this," Walter said.
The idea for the beer came from San Antonio-based Weathered Souls Brewery. Using the same recipe, they challenged breweries across the country to team up and donate 100% of the proceeds to local social justice organizations. Money from local sales will go to Black Lives Matter Philly.
Over 1,000 breweries in all 50 states and 19 countries are brewing Black is Beautiful.
"As brewers, we want to give back and help in any way possible," Koilor said.
This is a one-time-only release. They brewed 19 barrels and once it's gone, it's gone.