In addition to raising awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement and funds to support equal treatment of minorities across the country, a key strength of the Black is Beautiful brewing project has been bringing good people together. The Black is Beautiful initiative was started by Texas-based Weathered Souls Brewing owner Marcus Baskerville, who put an imperial stout recipe online, allowing anyone to brew it provided they donate money earned from the resultant beer to organizations in their area doing work to combat mistreatment of African Americans by law enforcement. Like many good and charitable causes, it has been picked up on a large scale by San Diego County breweries, many of whom team with other breweries or individuals when crafting their versions of the beer. One such effort was organized by Kilowatt Brewing, who got a little help from their friends, including San Diego Beer News.
The Kearny Mesa-based brewery (which also operates tasting rooms in Ocean Beach and Oceanside) teamed with Ballast Point Brewing, work-in-progress Barrio Logan interest Mujeres Brew House, brewer Cosimo Sorrentino and San Diego Beer News founder Brandon Hernández (me, due to having lupus and being immunocompromised I had to participate virtually). Their version on Black is Beautiful is based on another charity beer, a chicory coffee milk stout brewed in 2015 to support the Lupus Foundation of Southern California through the Beer to the Rescue campaign.
“When brainstorming with the group on what we wanted to brew, we decided to use that recipe as a launching point, then everyone involved in the collaboration made their own modifications and contributions to the final recipe,” says Kilowatt co-founder and COO Rachel Fischer.
The final recipe includes chocolate malt, dark caramel malts, oats, lactose sugar and Café du Monde chicory coffee from Louisiana. It will come in around 7.2% alcohol-by-volume and proceeds from its sale will benefit Hear Us Here, an organization using video and other media as a platform to amplify black voices from a diverse range of individuals within the community, including political figures, artists, activists, professionals and faith leaders in the form of raw, unfiltered messages “for everyone already listening and those who need to begin.”
The purpose and message of Black is Beautiful is important to us, both personally and as a company. When discussing ways we could specifically help bring more awareness to our local community, we decided the best path forward would be to partner with a local grassroots organization embedded in San Diego’s black community with a firsthand, personal understanding of the issues local people of color face.”
Steve Kozyk, Founder & Owner, Kilowatt Brewing
The beer is currently fermenting but will be available later this month at all three of Kilowatt’s and Ballast Point’s locations, as well as accounts that purchase the beer for sale at their venues.
Kilowatt Brewing’s Kearny Mesa brewery and tasting room is located at 7576 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. It’s Oceanside tasting room is located at 406 Mission Avenue, and its Ocean Beach tasting room is located at 1875 Cable Street.