Black is Beautiful Beer Project Raises $2.2 Million, Announces Year 2 Campaign
Black is Beautiful, a collaborative initiative started by Weathered Souls Brewing to fight police brutality and other injustices against people of color, has raised $2.2 million, according to a Facebook post by the San Antonio-basec craft brewery.
That number will increase, as it was tallied from 403 of the 1,207 breweries who signed up for the 2020 project.
“When we get more responses, we will post a spreadsheet showing the new total and where each brewery donated their funds,” Marcus Baskerville, Weathered Souls co-founder, wrote in the post.
The Black is Beautiful initiative was started last summer by Baskerville in response to the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
“I was trying to think of a way to give my support as a Black business owner,” Baskerville told Brewbound last June. “As a Black brewer, how could I show my support for the current situation that’s going on without jeopardizing my business in any type of way, but also not jeopardizing myself as a Black man either?”
Baskerville asked breweries that brewed the Black is Beautiful imperial stout to donate 100% of the proceeds to an organization of their choice that helped in the effort to create police brutality reform or other related initiatives.
Weathered Souls chose to donate its funds to 100 Black Men of San Antonio Inc, which provides mentorship to young Black men in Texas. To date, Weathered Souls has donated $35,529.88 to the organization, which received an additional $12,361.70 from Jagermeister and other Black is Beautiful partners.
Weathered Souls also announced the launch of Year 2 of the campaign. The brewery is once again asking for 100% of profits to be donated to charities, but said breweries can choose which beer they’d like to use, rather than brewing their stout. Additionally, the brewery encouraged others to collaborate with local minority businesses and/or artists on their projects.
Samuel Adams Creates Brewing the American Dream Marketplace
Boston Beer Company has opened a marketplace for the small businesses via its Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream philanthropic program, which provides advice and capital to small businesses.
The Brewing the American Dream Marketplace will serve as a “one-stop shop” for small businesses in the food and beverage industry to deliver products direct-to-consumers, according to a press release.
“We are deeply passionate about the work we do and are constantly looking for ways to build upon the many resources we currently offer,” Jennifer Glanville, Boston Beer’s director of partnerships and brewer, said in a release. “We are so thrilled to further support our incredible network of small businesses through the Marketplace platform, making it easier than ever for consumers nationwide to shop small during this crucial time of rebuilding.”
The marketplace is online now, with new small businesses being added on a rolling basis.
Surly, Schell, Indeed and Others Continue Push for Changes to Minnesota Growler Limits
Minnesota craft brewers made a final push this week to encourage lawmakers to change the state’s cap on growler sales, holding a press conference at the Minnesota State Capitol Monday with Rep. Liz Olson (D-Duluth).
The press conference included representatives from the Minnesota Cider Guild, the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, the Minnesota Distillers Guild, the Minnesota Farm Winery Association, Minnesota Independent Restaurants and Hospitality Minnesota, according to KSTP.
Olson and craft brewers such as Surly, Schell, Indeed and others are hoping to pass the “Drink Local Economic Recovery Package,” which would change the cap that currently prohibits breweries producing more than 20,000 barrels of beer a year from selling to-go containers such as 64 oz. growlers. Five breweries were above that cap as of April: Surly, Fulton, Castle Danger, Schell, and Summit.
The new legislation would also allow liquor stores, bars, and restaurants to sell alcohol to-go, would allow distilleries to sell full-sized bottles, and would allow cideries and brewpubs to distribute their products.
“The state needs to step up and aid in the economic recovery of its hospitality businesses,” Liz Rammer, president and CEO of Hospitality Minnesota, said. “One way to do that is by creating maximum flexibility for their businesses, and passing alcohol to-go is one such tool.”
“We’re not going anywhere until these laws change. We are here to stay,” Lauren Bennet McGinty, executive director of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, told the press. “We hope that the Legislature will take a stand and [do] something about it and help us be competitive with our neighbors and the rest of the country.”
State lawmakers are scheduled to meet next week to pass a two-year budget. A legislative working group writing the state’s budget has declined to hold a hearing on the proposal and did not include it in the current draft of the two-year budget, according to the Pine Journal.
Yuengling to Launch in Texas in August
D.G. Yuengling & Son’s offerings will be available to Texans starting August 23.
Texas is the first expansion state as part of Yuengling’s joint venture with Molson Coors to expand the reach of America’s oldest brewery into the western U.S. The two companies announced their plan to expand Yuengling into 25 western states last September.
“It’s exciting to finally see the first statewide launch of our joint venture come to fruition,” Gavin Hattersley, Molson Coors Beverage Company’s president and CEO, said in a release. “Over the next few months, our skilled team at the Molson Coors Ft. Worth brewery will work hand-in-hand with the Yuengling family to bring Texans the rich tradition and quality that America’s oldest brewery is known for.”
“Bringing Yuengling’s iconic beer to one of the country’s largest beer markets is a tremendous growth opportunity for the Yuengling Company,” Pat Pikunas, Yuengling Company general manager, said in a release.
Yuengling’s Traditional Lager, Light Lager 99, Golden Pilsner, and Flight will be available at launch. Yuengling beer is sold in 22 states.
Five Star Bank Files Foreclosure Proceedings Against Jamestown Brewing
Foreclosure proceedings have been filed in New York state Supreme Court against Jamestown Brewing Company, according to WRFA.
Five Star Bank claims Jamestown owners Jon and Terri McLellan owe $283,763 with interest. The bank is trying to collect secured collateral from the co-owners from the sale of properties in Chautauqua and Erie counties.
Jamestown Brewing opened in 2019, one year later than originally planned due to renovation delays. The brewery did not have a liquor license and was forced to close for two months.
In February, 2020 GPatti Enterprises — the owner of the building housing the brewery — filed a lawsuit to evict Jamestown, saying the company was $70,000 behind on rent, paying only $15,000 of the total $85,000 owed. Jamestown argued its financial hardship from COVID-19 was to blame for its debt, which would have protected the brewery from eviction due to an executive order by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. However, GPatti successfully argued that Jamestown fell behind on rent prior to any pandemic setbacks. The brewery permanently closed in July 2020 after an eviction order and warrant was entered by Erie County state Supreme Court Judge Timothy Walker, according to The Post-Journal.
Sunday River Brewing Reopens Under New Management
Sunday River Brewing Co. in Bethel, Maine, has reopened under new management, according to a post on the brewery’s Facebook page.
The brewpub shutdown in December after a year of battles with the state over COVID-19 restaurant regulations, which included five license suspensions and two court orders to close, according to WGME.
Rick Savage, Sunday River’s now-former owner, received national attention in May 2020 when he defied Gov. Janet Mills’ executive order and he re-opened for indoor dining. After Savage’s refusal to follow state regulations, including mask-wearing and plexiglass installation, and after a failed lawsuit against Mills, the brewery had its state liquor and restaurant licenses suspended.
The business has been taken over by Bar Harbor restaurateur Michael Boland, according to the Sun Journal. Boland reportedly approached Savage and his brother Ron with an undisclosed offer that the brothers couldn’t refuse, despite the restaurant not being on the market at the time.
“We got what we wanted, so we sold it,” Savage told the Sun Journal. “We’re businessmen, we own seven companies; this is not our only operation.”
All licenses for the establishment have been reinstated, applied for under the Sunday River Restaurant and Brewpub name, a new corporation created by Boland. The Savage brothers will not be involved in any ownership or management of the business.
Ex-Molson Coors Employee Charged After Threatening to ‘Shoot Up’ Brewery
Former Molson Coors employee Jamal Jury, 28, was charged with a felony and misdemeanor this week after he allegedly threatened to “shoot up” the Milwaukee brewery, according to WDJT CBS 58.
According to the criminal complaint, in February 2020 Jury was suspended from Molson Coors after allegedly threatening to go “shooting up” the brewery during a workplace argument. At the time, Jury was escorted off the ground by security. Shortly after, on February 26, Anthony Ferril, another brewery employee, killed five people in a mass shooting at the brewery.
In June, Jury received a call from a union official informing him that his termination would be upheld, in which Jury responded with a comment about “shooting up” the facility, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Another employee on the call alerted security of the threat.
Additionally, an employee has shown officials a text message allegedly sent by Jury in August 2020 threatening to “shoot the brewery up,” according to the criminal complaint.
When detectives called Jury, he allegedly said “I guess I’m out of here fired. I got nothing to lose. What’s to stop me from shooting up the place?” WDJT reported. During a search of Jury’s home, police found a CBC Luger 9mm brass cartridge casing with copper jacketed bullet.
Jury was charged with making a terrorist threat causing public panic or fear (a felony) and one count of threatening injury or harm through a computer message (a misdemeanor). During a June 6 court appearance, a cash bond was set at $20,000, and Jury was ordered to have no contact with employees of Molson Coors, and to stay away from the Molson Coors campus. A preliminary hearing is set for June 22.
The February 2020 mass shooting at Molson Coors was one of Wisconsin’s deadliest. At the time, Jury was taken into custody and questioned, but was found to have no involvement, according to WDJT.