It’s far past due that we pay attention to and patronize Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) owned goods and businesses.
Beer, in particular, is a DGO Mag staple and we feel it necessary to remind y’all of all the delicious brews we have here in the Southwest that just happen to be owned and made by BIPOC.
Here are a handful of BIPOC-owned breweries that you should add to your summer (and forever) drinking list because we could use all the beer we can get right now.
Bow and Arrow BrewingLocation: Albuquerque, New MexicoShyla Sheppard, a Three Affiliated Tribes member, co-founded Bow and Arrow Brewing with her life and business partner Missy Begay, a member of the Diné (Navajo) Nation in 2016 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Not only is this brewery super LGBTQ friendly, but, according to a 2018 Vice article, Bow and Arrow is the only Native-woman owned brewery in the U.S.
For you Four Corners area folks, be on the lookout for their Rambler Taproom set to open in Farmington, NM. The two are not only making history with their beers, but they’re also using their platform to showcase and incorporate Native American culture into their work in a way that’s not corny or overdone.
Novel Strand Brewing CompanyLocation: Denver, COLike many undergrads, Chantel Columna, Tamir Danon, and Ayana Coker were brought together by their love of beer. Unlike many college students, their love of beer led them to open a brewery: Novel Strand Brewing Company. Novel Strand produces a wide variety of beers packed with flavor.
Danon, who brews these cold ones, tends to lean toward the wild and sour ales side of the beer spectrum, according to Westword.
Some of their brews include Popular Demand, an unfiltered German Keller Pils inspired lager; Eau De Cologne, an unfiltered German Kölsch inspired ale; and Moon Joose, a citrusy sour.
Hogshead BreweryLocation: Denver, COHogshead Brewery might be in one of the coolest locations we’ve heard of: a repurposed 1950’s gas station. The brewery, self-described as a “purveyor of cask-conditioned ales,” was started in 2012 by head brewer Stephen Kirby, Jeff Kipp, and Michael Manczur. Hogshead produces a variety of beers but their specialty is English ales, or bitters, as Kirby immigrated here from London.
Fun fact? Hogshead is a British measurement for beer, about 64 gallons to be exact. We request a hogshead of beer for everyone for the remainder of COVID!
Outworld BrewingLocation: Longmont, COOutworld Brewing is out of this world – figuratively and maybe even literally. This sci-fi fantasy-themed brewery is right up our UFO-lovin’ alley. It doesn’t take long while scrolling through their social media feeds to get really hungry and thirsty because their stuff looks out of this world.
Chicken and waffles and a beer? Yes, please!
Outworld operates on the fact that beer is the most “highly traded commodity throughout the universe” and they’re probably right. Let’s get to work on stocking up on Outworld brews so that when the Vogons come to demolish Earth for a space bypass we have some leverage.
Raíces Brewing Co.Location: Denver, COWhen Jose Beteta, Tamil Maldonado Vega, and Martín Vargas opened Raíces Brewing Co. in 2019, they did so not only to brew some killer beer but to also address the lack of diversity in the industry.
For Latinos patronizing the business, Raíces is meant to serve as a way to feel at home. For non-Latinos, the brewery is a space where they can learn about Latin culture, music, and food.
And, of course, there is the delicious beer. Raíces is also the host for Suave Fest, a festival that celebrates Latin-owned breweries across Colorado and the country.
Amanda Push
