Moor's Brewing expands in Chicago with historic brewpub opening
Black-owned brewery opens its first taproom in Logan Square.
Brewpub launch coincides with Black History Month.
New beers honor Patsy Young, a pioneering Black brewer.
CHICAGO - Moor's Brewing, one of Chicago's few Black-owned craft breweries, is marking a major milestone this week.
After three years of selling beer in bars and stores, the company is opening its own brewpub—just the second Black-owned establishment of its kind in the city.
What we know
Moor's Brewing, founded by Damon Patton and Jamhal Johnson, is set to open Diversey House in Logan Square on Wednesday.
The brewpub is a partnership with Steep Ravine Brewing, which previously occupied the space under a different name. The timing is intentional, as the founders wanted to open at the start of Black History Month.
"We thought it would be super appropriate for us to open our first taproom during the month to pay homage to history," Johnson said. "Because we're making history."
The brewpub will offer a sports bar atmosphere with a craft beer selection and food curated by three-time "Chopped" champion Marc Anthony Bynum.
"It's just like a match made in heaven," Bynum said. "I love cooking, they like making great beers. And we're here to pair it."
The backstory
Patton and Johnson launched Moor's Brewing three years ago with a simple goal: to put a Black man on a beer can.
Their journey has since led them to open their own space, despite early skepticism.
"It was suggested that a Black man on the can would be detrimental to our launch and we wouldn't sell beer north of Cermak," Johnson recalled. "And as you see, we're on Diversey."
As part of their commitment to history, the brewery is introducing a beer series named after Patsy Young, an enslaved woman who escaped in the early 1800s and supported herself by brewing beer.
"We think that's a name in the beer industry everyone should know," Patton said. "She was an American woman, a Black American woman, formerly enslaved. And during Black History Month, it makes sense for us to champion her story."
What's next
With the grand opening of Diversey House, Patton and Johnson hope to make their mark in Chicago's craft beer scene while creating opportunities for other Black entrepreneurs in the industry.
"We just wanted to put a Black man on a beer can," Patton said. "And now we got all this. It feels great."
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