On Tuesday, the Brewers Association announced the recipients of its first-ever diversity and inclusion event grants. Six beer event organizers were given $20,000 each to help fund festivals that focus on diversity and inclusion.

Grants were awarded by the Brewers Association Diversity Committee, which was created in 2017. Last year, the trade organization hired Dr. J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham, Ph.D., as its first diversity ambassador.

Tapping Opportunity; HeART and Soul Brew Fest; Fresh Fest Beer Fest; Beer With(out) Beards; Suave Fest; and Craft Beer Employment Fair are the 2019 recipients.

  • Tapping Opportunity is an employment fair run by Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland, OH.
  • HeART and Soul Brew Fest, organized by Like the Fruit, gathers more than 20 black-owned restaurants and food vendors to Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in Richmond, VA.
  • Fresh Fest Beer Fest is the nation’s first black brew fest, and takes place in Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Beers With(out) Beards, by Hop Culture, hosts events highlighting women in beer in Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Suave Fest raises awareness of Latino influence in the craft beer industry at Raices Brewing in Denver, CO.
  • Craft Beer Employment Fair, which takes place at Mass Bay Brewing Company in Boston, MA, presents employment opportunities to diverse populations in the Boston area.

“Receiving one of the Brewers Association’s diversity and inclusion grants will allow Suave Fest to highlight the contributions and talents of Latinx brewers and breweries,” Jose Beteta, co-founder and CEO, Raices Brewing, said in a press release. “Because the grant includes the Brewers Association’s involvement as part of the sponsored projects, a national spotlight will be shed on underrepresented groups that need the exposure.”