Montclair Brewery Uses Love Of Beer As Platform For Change

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A microbrewery in Montclair is continuing its annual tradition of honoring Black History Month with a series of signature beers.

For the third year in a row, the Montclair Brewery will be releasing several new and returning craft beer styles at their tap room at 101 Walnut Street. The Black History Month beers will also be available at some of the brewery’s distribution partners.

“Brewing runs deep in my West African culture, and it means so much to me that I’m able to share the history and connection that Black people have with beer, since this is not usually represented in America,” said lead brewer, Leo Sawadogo, who co-owns the brewery with his wife, Denise Ford Sawadogo.

“It is so important for us to use our brewery as a platform to educate others about Black History and we love to incorporate ingredients from our Caribbean and African cultures into our brews,” said Ford Sawadogo, who serves as the brewery’s general manager and manages its business operations.

“While we try and pay tribute to our cultures year-round, Black History Month really gives us the opportunity to recognize and honor the sacrifices and neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in history,” Ford Sawadogo added.

The lineup of new craft brews, all of which are connected to the African diaspora, include tasty libations such as:

• Noble Like It is Porter – A collaboration with the Harlem Brewing Company which honors Gil Noble, a renowned African-American journalist, professor, pianist, news reporter, anchor, producer and host of WABC "Like it Is," a weekly television program that focused on issues relevant to the African American community. This beer is in collaboration with the Harlem Brewing Company, brewed with Jamaican pimento seeds (allspice) and expected to be released on draught early February in their taproom and at select New Jersey distribution partners mid-month in 16 oz. cans.
• Boseman Wild Ale - A wild ale brewed with juniper berries and named to honor the actor Chadwick Boseman, best known for his starring role in the movie, “Black Panther.” Being a wild ale, it’s expected to have an earthy, sour and funky aroma and flavor. The Boseman Wild Ale will be released towards the middle of February and will be available on draught and for growler fills and 16 oz. cans.
• Black is Beautiful Stout with Baobab and Peanut Butter - A new twist on the brewery’s version of the “Black is Beautiful” global collaboration recipe. Peanut butter was selected as a homage to George Washington Carver, the African American agricultural scientist and inventor, often referred to as the “peanut man” for developing more than 300 products from peanuts. The “Black is Beautiful Stout with Baobab and Peanut Butter” is currently available on draft for on-premise consumption and in 12 oz. growler cans for to-go orders.

Along with these new additions, the brewery will be highlighting some of its existing beers that also pay tribute to Black history and the owners’ Caribbean and African cultures. They include:

“The ‘Black Mamba Lager’ is a light-bodied black lager brewed with dark malts that was brewed in honor of Kobe Bryant. The ‘Baobiere’ is the brewery’s award-winning golden ale that is brewed with the fruit of the legendary African Baobab tree, also known as the Tree of Life. The ‘Hibiscus Dream Pale Ale,’ is also connected to their Black History Month Beer Series and is brewed with dried flowers from Jamaica and West Africa. The ‘Bartons Bush Coconut Stout’ also made its way onto the list, as it was inspired by Ford-Sawadogo’s family heritage in Bartons, Saint Catherine’s, Jamaica and its coconut groves. The ‘Golden Buddha Passion Fruit Ale’ is a light-bodied golden ale flavored with tropical passion fruit puree and connects to the owner’s Jamaican roots, as passion fruit is a staple used on the island in drinks and jellies.”

The Montclair Brewery opened its doors in 2018 after launching a crowdfunding campaign. Since then, it’s been supporting social justice efforts in other ways, including donating proceeds from the “Black is Beautiful” beer, a collaboration spearheaded by Weathered Souls Brewing to help bring awareness to and raise funds to help protect those impacted by racial injustices.

A portion of the proceeds were donated to two local organizations, DIFFvelopment and IMANI.

The Montclair Brewery has previously worked with DIFFvelopment, and it led to an inspiring experience.

“We have had two of their students work with the brewery within the past two years,” Ford Sawadogo said. “It is amazing to have had the chance to experience first-hand the impact that they have on college students that are often marginalized and we are honored to be able to give back to them.”

“Although the past year has been extremely challenging due to parts of our business being negatively affected by COVID-19 restrictions, we strongly believe in this mission to help level the playing field for people of color and to help African Americans who are disproportionately abused by a broken and biased justice system,” Ford Sawadogo added.

• See related article: Married Couple Open Montclair's First Microbrewery
• See related article: Montclair Brewery Infuses Local Beer Scene With Diversity
• See related article: Montclair Brewery Beers Honor Harriet Tubman, Larry Doby

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