Latest news with #DiverseyHouse
Chicago Tribune
07-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Making a mark in culture and craft beer, Chicago-based Moor's Brewing wins Samuel Adams competition
'I think it was important for us to be Black,' said Jamhal Johnson, co-founder of Chicago's local Moor's Brewing Co. 'We put a Black man on the beer can.' For Johnson and longtime friends Damon Patton and Anthony Bell, that's been one part of a well-considered growth and branding strategy for Moor's Brewery Co., the Chicago Black-owned brewery the trio co-founded in 2021. Last month, they won the Samuel Adams 2025 Brewing the American Dream competition and will receive a year of financial assistance and mentorship from the brand, a key player in the craft brewing space. They plan to use it to aid in their mission of popularizing and mainstreaming Black-owned craft beer. Black-owned breweries account for less than 1% of all breweries in the United States, according to the National Black Brewers Association. Both Samuel Adams and Moor's have invested in changing that; the network of brewers that Samuel Adams mentors is nearly 80% Black, brown or female-owned. Two years ago, another Black-owned Chicago business, Funkytown Brewery, won the competition. 'I think the scene is vibrant here in Chicago,' said Patton. 'It's here to stay. It's only gonna get bigger, quite frankly, as more Black owners enter the space.' Moor's Brewery Co. launched Juneteenth 2021. Their first beer, a session ale, which has its flavor based in the citra hop, was a quick success. 'It has an obvious citrus taste to it,' said Patton. 'We wanted to do something light, drinkable for the summer to celebrate Juneteenth.' Moor's was a passion project and none of them had experience in the brewing industry, but from the beginning, they had high hopes. Within six months, Moor's had an estimated 100 retail accounts. By Juneteenth 2022, they had entered the New York market. Now they have 600 accounts, including Whole Foods, Michelin-starred restaurants and their original client, A&S in Hyde Park and Matteson Wine and Spirits. They have expanded to a lineup of six core products — an imperial porter, IPA, session ale, Kölsch, helles lager and a pilsner — as well as several limited-edition beers and a nonalcoholic chai infused with mango and hemp-derived THC. 'For a craft beer, it's really about the love of developing a new product,' said Bell. 'From our vantage point, it's just as much of an art as making a painting.' In order to grow and experiment, they opened a taproom at Diversey House in the Logan Square neighborhood in 2025, where some of those limited-edition brews can be found. 'We're definitely looking towards the growth of Diversey House,' said Bell. 'And towards developing some wonderful experiences for people to enjoy, here in Chicago.' From the start, they've been marketing to a clientele that has traditionally been underserved. 'Just looking at the landscape of the traditional craft brewing space, it was mostly geared towards beer enthusiasts,' said Johnson. The team felt that the general public, in particular Black Americans, needed a brand they identified with. The Black man on the beer can comes from a painting by Hendrik Heerschop called 'The African King Caspar.' The founders connected to the portrait on an aesthetic level; it was both timeless and familiar. They added a crown, giving it a more modern flair. For this year's Juneteenth, the co-founders celebrated their fourth anniversary at Diversey House, where they host events and offer special brews tied to Black history. 'We did a series that was for Patsy Young,' said Johnson. 'She was a former slave who earned her living brewing beer … Highlighting history adds to the story and makes the beer more of a conversation piece rather than just a beer.' They're making their own mark in culture and history, too. Bell remembers listening to hip-hop songs that reference the beers the rappers were drinking, like Beck's or Heineken. According to the owners, Moor's has been featured in songs by local musicians and on TV. Most notably, their beer can be seen being drunk by the cast of Lena Waithe's 'The Chi' in a recent episode. National attention has been growing at a steady and natural pace. With Samuel Adams' support, they hope to expand at the same careful rate. Moor's won the Brewing the American Dream competition with their Kölsch beer. It's a Munich-style light beer that Patton describes as a 'fastball down the middle.' 'They brought a beer that was not as mainstream as an IPA and folks loved it,' said Jennifer Glanville Love, brewer and director of partnership of Boston Beer Co. and Samuel Adams. Glanville Love said Moor's winning brew was a lighter take that was delicious and well-constructed. But in addition, it was their story and their business plan that garnered them the most votes at the contest. 'The place they're in, the passion they have, the way they've grown so methodically, it all resonated,' Glanville Love said. 'The timing is perfect.' Samuel Adams and Moor's will be collaborating on a beer to be announced later. Next Juneteenth, things could look very different for Moor's, as they look to expand their footprint in Chicago and the rest of the country. For their fifth anniversary, they plan to hold their biggest-ever Juneteenth celebration in 2026. 'Juneteenth means freedom,' said Bell. 'Think of that notion of freedom and what would you do with that freedom — we encourage being free and expressive in any realm, it could be dancing, painting, singing… or, yes, beer.'
CBS News
05-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Some Chicago companies say they have to brace for hits from President Trump's tariffs
Some Chicago companies say they're facing a direct impact after President Trump launched a possible trade war Tuesday with the United States' three largest trading partners — Mexico, Canada and China. President Trump's imposition of blanket 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Canada and Mexico took effect overnight. China was hit with a second 10% tariff on U.S. exports since Mr. Trump took office, bringing the total levy to 20%. The price of a wide array of products will likely soon be going up as a result — affecting everything from food to electronics. Experts say, for instance, that the tariffs could drive the cost of some cars up by as much as $12,000. "There is no question that this is going to be hitting Americans in the next days, weeks, and months," said global economic analyst Rana Foroohar. One Chicago business bracing for an impact is Diversey House, at 2601 W. Diversey Ave. in the Logan Square neighborhood. It is business as usual for now at the new brewery and restaurant, but Moor's Brewing co-founder and chief executive officer Damon Patton said the brewery may be forced to increase the price of canned beer — as the aluminum used is imported from Canada. "Seventy-five percent of the craft brewing industry is done in aluminum cans," Patton said. "This is going to affect pricing." Some businesses in the Pilsen neighborhood say they too will be forced to increase prices, in their cases on products from Mexico, if tariffs are implemented. "It does make it harder to do business," said Julio Velazquez, owner of Escaramuza USA, 1644 W. 18th St. More than 90% of the handmade arts and crafts on the shelves of Escaramuza USA are imported from Mexico. "Increase prices — that was the reaction," said Velazquez. "We don't have a choice. We have to pay the tariffs. When items cross the border, they will be charging us the 25% on the value of the item." It could also cost consumers more for avocados and tomatoes — just some of Mexico's largest exports. Back at Diversey House, Patton said he will be paying close attention as President Trump could compromise on the steep tariffs as soon as Wednesday. "The craft brewing industry the last couple years has taken hit after hit," said Patton. "We fortunately have been able to survive these hits. I am confident we'll survive this one as well."
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Moor's Brewing expands in Chicago with historic brewpub opening
The Brief 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."
