Breweries across Ohio – and the world – are using their craft to raise awareness of the injustices people of color face every day. San Antonio-based Weathered Souls Brewing Co. launched the Black is Beautiful beer initiative to highlight the inclusiveness of the brewing community, while also raising dollars to support organizations trying to create a more just world. As a part of the initiative, breweries are required to donate 100% of their beer’s proceeds to local foundations that support police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged or local organizations that support equality and inclusion.
Weathered Souls provided the recipe for the base stout and encouraged breweries to get creative with their infusions. From hints of coffee, to flavors of caramel, here’s where you will find Black is Beautiful beers in Central Ohio.
DankHouse Brewing
161 Forry St. – Newark
dankhousebrewing.com
For its spin on Black is Beautiful, DankHouse added salty caramel coffee from Coffee Shack Coffee Roasters and Ugandan vanilla beans. The stout is available on draft or in 32-oz to-go crowlers. Proceeds will support The Community Alliance for Racial Justice.
Hoof Hearted Brewing
300 County Road 26 – Marengo / hoofheartedbrewing.com
850 N. Fourth St. – Italian Village / hoofheartedkitchen.com
Tahitian Vanilla Bean and an Ethiopian roast coffee from Hoof Hearted Coffee’s lineup flavor this brewery’s Black is Beautiful beer. The imperial stout is available 16-oz four-packs, with limited quantities remaining at each location. Proceeds will go to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Olentangy River Brewing Company
303 Green Meadows Dr South – Lewis Center
olentangyriverbrewingcompany.com
Olentangy River Brewing Company’s Black is Beautiful double oatmeal stout is flavored with caramel. The brew is available on draft with proceeds benefiting YWCA Columbus.
Nocterra Brewing Co.
41 Depot St. – Powell
nocterrabrewing.com
Hand-toasted coconut and vanilla beans went into Nocterra’s Black is Beautiful Coconut Vanilla Stout. The stout is available in six-packs, and on draft for pints and growler fills. Proceeds from the beer benefit Black Queer & Intersectional Collective (BQIC).
Seventh Son Brewing
1101 N. Fourth St. – Italian Village
seventhsonbrewing.com
Seventh Son presents its Black is Beautiful Imperial Coffee Stout. The brewery took the base recipe and included locally-roasted coffee from Black-owned coffee roaster Upper Cup Coffee. The beer is available in six-packs with proceeds benefiting the NAACP Legal Defense fund.
Two additional Central Ohio breweries participated in the effort, already selling out of their beers. Land-Grant Brewing Company released its Black is Beautiful beer in late June, selling out in the first weekend with proceeds supporting Mozaic. BrewDog released its Black is Beautiful beer in early July, supporting Campaign Zero through its sales.
For more information, visit blackisbeautiful.beer.