A List of Breweries Committed to Social Justice Year-Around
The world is starting to become more aware of the need for social justice, and many businesses are starting to commit to social justice narratives. This can be seen more and more in our craft beer community. So, support them in their efforts to make our community and industry a better place.
The alphabetical running-list below contains breweries that you’ll want to check out for suds and social justice.
Let us know of breweries that should be added to this list!
Allagash Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @allagashbrewing
Location: 50 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103
Allagash Brewing is a certified B corporation. Belgian-style beer maker that offers a range of quality beer and merchandise. The company created a Black is Beautiful imperial stout and the purchase of that beer has allowed them to give $10,000 to the Indigo Arts Alliance and Maine Inside Out, two organizations that work hard toward increasing racial equity in the community.
Attic Brewing Company
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @atticbrewing
Location: 137 Berkley St, Philadelphia, PA 19144
Attic Brewing Company initially started in 2010 and eventually set up a brewery in Germantown, where there hadn’t been one since the early 1900s. They believe that the brewery can help to restore the vitality of the area while still embracing the strong diversity and culture it holds. The brewery also believes in environmental responsibility and doesn’t utilize plasticware. The company also donates spent grains to local farms, gardens, and bakeries.
Brewability Lab
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @brewabilitylab
Location: 3445 S Broadway, Englewood, CO 80113
Billed as an inclusive brewery, they hire people with developmental disabilities and ensure their facilities are accessible for customers and employees. The menu is color-coded to match handles on the taps, and the tap handles also have braille. They also keep sensory items for customers and employees that need something tactile.
Core4 Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @Core4brewing
Location: 7 N Lee Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Core4 Brewing produces small-batch, craft beer in the Film Row area of Oklahoma City. In addition to beer, they have a range of merchandise and handmade goods. The company has been vocal on its social media about the importance of stopping racism.
Crowns and Hops
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @crownsandhops
Location: Still in Development
This young Black-owned brewery is crafting a host of different types of beer. As a part of the social justice movement to build culture and community in the craft beer community. They crafted the pecan Black is Beautiful beer from the initiative from Weathered Souls Brewing. In addition, the brewery created the 8 Trill Pils. It will be released in the UK and Germany at the same time. Proceeds from the pilsner will be donated to organizations that help eliminate disparities in education, criminal justice, housing, employment, and entrepreneurship.
Eastern Market Brewing Co.
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @easternmarketbrewing
Location: 2515 Riopelle St, Detroit, MI 48207
Eastern Market Brewing Co. brews a range of tasty beer for their community-focused craft brewery and taproom. For a recent Friday Eve Chat, they delved into the state of diversity, inclusion, and equity in craft beer.
Ex Novo
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @exnovo
Location: 2326 N Flint Ave, Portland, OR 97227
Ex Novo supports a wide range of causes in the social justice sphere. Their mission is to donate 100% of the profits from their brews to those “building a better world and bringing hope to places where it is scarce”. These include Friends of the Children, the International Justice Museum, Impact NW, and Mercycorps.
Ferndale Project
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @ferndaleproject
Location: 567 Livernois, Ferndale, MI 48220
Ferndale Project, an experimental arm of Eastern Market Brewing Co., offers food, beer, and a wide range of other drinks. The relatively new company provided investment opportunities to the public in their community.
Fieldwork Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @fieldworkbrewingco
Location: 1160 Sixth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
Fieldwork Brewing was founded in 2014. In addition to Berkeley, there are several other brewery locations for the company including Monterey, San Mateo, San Ramon, Sacramento, Nap, and Corte Madera. The company has awarded a scholarship to a BIPOC for the American Brewers Guild, contributed to the Black is Beautiful project, and matched employee contributions to social justice organizations.
Finback Brewery
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @finbackbrewery
Location: 78-01 77th Ave, Glendale, NY 11385
The company was founded in 2011 and its first beers brewed in Queens were released in 2014. They also focus on making the community of Glendale a better place. They created the Breathing: Conversations Project that encourages breweries to facilitate one-on-one engagement around social justice issues. The Project asks brewers and breweries to have a conversation about race and record a short version of that on a beer can they sell. Finback Brewery hopes that this can help to inspire conversations and understanding.
Giant Jones Brewing Company
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @giantjonesbrewing
Location: 931 East Main Street Entrance on, S Brearly St Suite 9, Madison, WI 53703
Giant Jones Brewing Company is an independent, queer women-owned, certified-organic craft brewery. Creating partnerships for environmental and social justice is at the core of their brewery’s mission. The company was part of the Black is Beautiful Initiative with Weathered Souls Brewing out of Texas to raise awareness and support Freedom Inc. The company has donated 100% of the profits from the Black is Beautiful beer.
Greater Purpose
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @greaterpurposebrewing
Location: 21517 E Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Greater Purpose is a CA brewery that makes a wide range of craft beer using natural ingredients. The brewery believes in the importance of beer and supporting the community at the same time. They donate 30% to 60% of their profits to support a range of Santa Cruz charities and nonprofits.
Imagine Nation Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @imaginenationbrewingco
Location: 1151 W. Broadway St., Missoula, Montana 59802
Imagine Nation Brewing is the country’s first combo microbrewery and center for community transformation. They aim to use craft beer, fun, and education as a means to help provide a social change in Missoula and elsewhere.
Lady Justice Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @ladyjusticebrewing
Location: 9735 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, CO 80010
The Latina-founded, queer- and women-owned company was founded in 2014, and part of that founding goal was to brew beer to make the world a better place. The brewery dedicates money, along with space and time, to community partners to help empower the women and young girls in the state.
Metazoa Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @metazoabrewing
Location: 140 S College Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Located in the heart of the downtown area, the brewery offers a range of beer styles and tastes. The company donates 5% of its profits to animal and wildlife organizations as a means to give back to the planet.
Metier Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @metierbrewing
Location: 14125 NE 189th St suite b, Woodinville, WA 98072
Metier Brewing’s goal is to empower youth through bicycling and helping students to explore their communities and build confidence. They are partners with the Major Taylor Project and recently bought a van for them, which helps youths, often young people of color, go out and reach more students interested in biking from beyond the Seattle Metro area.
Modern Times Beer
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @moderntimesbeer
Location: 3725 Greenwood St, San Diego, CA 92110
The employee-owned brewery offers more than just beer. It also offers coffee in addition to being a brewery and tasting room. They’re distributed around Southern California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Hawai’i, and the Pacific Northwest. The founder and CEO has written on their blog about BLM and loudly says that Black Lives Matter.
Modist Brewing Company
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @modistbrewing
Location: 505 N 3rd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Modist Brewing Company makes a wide range of fine craft beer. The company has offered their taproom as a safe place for protestors and provided them with free hotdogs. They donated all of their profits from May 25 to 31, 2020 to various funds and organizations that helped and supported those directly affected by the murder of George Floyd. They’ve partnered with Justice Frontline Air and have collaborated with Weathered Souls Brewing, a black-owned brewery in TX.
Montclair Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @montclairbrew
Location: 101 Walnut Street, Montclair, NJ 07042
Montclair Brewing is New Jersey’s first Black-owned brewery, which first opened in October of 2018. Owned by the husband and wife duo, Leo and Denise; the brewery was born from the passion of home brewing. Since inception, Montclair Brewing has created Black History Month Beers as a part of their series inspired from African culture and prominent Black figures. In 2021, they honored Gil Noble, George Washington Carver, and Chadwick Boseman. They also continually brew the Black is Beautiful stout. The brewery uses their passion and love for craft beer as a platform for change.
Orpheus Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @orpheusbrewing
Location: 1440 Dutch Valley Pl. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324
Orpheus Brewing offers a Leadership Diversity Program that is aiming to help a more diverse group of people start to learn the skills they need to brew beer. The six-month training program includes a $1,500-a-month stipend and health insurance.
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @ptownbrewingco
Location: 141 Bradford St., Provincetown, MA 02657
The brewery owners and employees believe in giving back and striving for social change. The company donates 15% of all proceeds to specific causes and organizations they believe in including LGBTQ+ inclusion, environmental conservation, and more.
Reformation Brewery
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @reformationbrewery
Location: 225 Reformation Pkwy, Ste. 500, Canton, GA 30144, as well as 105 Elm Street, Woodstock, GA 30188 and 6255 Riverview Road, Bldg. 4000, Smyrna, GA 30126.
The brewery is based on good core values including acceptance. They believe that everyone should be accepted and appreciated. They believe in listening, moderation, authenticity, humility, and humor. The brewery was also part of the Black is Beautiful initiative and donated proceeds from the Black is Beautiful beer to social justice organizations.
Redemption Rock Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @rr_brewingco
Location: 333 Shrewsbury St. Worcester, MA 10604
Redemption Rock Brewing Company takes giving back to the community seriously. It is the first certified B Corporation craft brewery in the state of Massachusetts. The company pays their employees a fair wage that doesn’t rely on tips, so they donate all of their cash tips each month to various non-profit organizations.
Shu Brew
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @shubrew
Location: 205 South Main Street, Zelienople, PA 16063
Shu Brew was founded in 2013 by Zachary and Erika Shumaker in downtown Zelienople, PA. They work closely with the local food farmers and suppliers to enhance their local economy and community. Shu Brew also has earned the platinum designation for sustainability – a first for a Butler county restaurant. They have also been community driven throughout the pandemic and civil unrest.
Sloop Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @sloopbrewing
Location: 755 East Dr #106, East Fishkill, NY 12533
Sloop Brewing Co. was founded in 2011 by Adam Watson and Justin Taylor. Through the company’s Open Waters internships, they hope to dismantle the barriers that are often present in the craft beer field and help to make the industry more diverse and inclusive.
Save the World Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @stwbrewing
Location: 1510 Resource Pkwy, Marble Falls, TX 78654
Save the World Brewing dubs itself as the first 100% philanthropic production craft brewery in the United States. The money from the company goes to a wide range of charities including Feed My Starving Children, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, and Food for the Hungry.
Tap Social Movement
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @tapsocialmovement
Location: Curtis Industrial Estate, 27, N Hinksey Ln, Oxford OX2 0LX, United Kingdom
The United States breweries aren’t the only ones that believe in social justice. Tap Social Movement makes social justice a core of who they are and what they do. It was founded in 2016 and means to provide opportunities for people who have had trouble with the law and who have made mistakes in their life. They are helping people to turn their lives around.
Triple Bottom Brewing Company
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @triplebottombrewing
Location: 915 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123
The company says its mission is to “create moments of joy and connection” and to help one another create a better future. In addition to great beer, they hire a diverse team and they work to create a sustainable, eco-friendly business and support their community, neighbors, and environment.
Urban Jungle Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @urbanjunglebrew
Location: No Location Yet; Coming to Texas Soon
Set to be Austin’s first Black-owned brewery, Urban Jungle Brewing, was created to be a space where diversity and inclusivity were welcomed. They strive to include people of color, women, non-binary, LGBTQIA+, and others in the field of brewing.
Weathered Souls Brewing
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: @weatheredsoulsbrewing
Location: 606 Embassy Oaks #500, San Antonio, TX 78216
Weathered Souls Brewing is the creator of the Black is Beautiful initiative, which is a collaborative effort among breweries and beer drinkers to raise awareness for the injustices people of color face daily and to raise funds for police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged. They got more than 1,200 breweries around the world to participate. To read more about the Black is Beautiful initiative, read our article Baskerville’s Black is Beautiful Resonates ‘Round the World and the The Black is Beautiful Effect.
