Introduction

Although the central story of race and beer in the US is one that centers on the production and reproduction of whiteness, there is reason to believe that the racialized social structure of beer might be cracking. This chapter will cover several developments that may indicate critical change in the phenomenon of craft beer. There is no doubt that there are several contemporary currents that are pressing against the whiteness of craft beer, and there is also no doubt that it is all happening right now. We will highlight several of these taking place across the country, in minority-owned breweries, in the digital space of social media, and many occurring right in your backyard, in order to get a bird’s-eye view of their challenges and resilience in the face of such a structure. We will also report on the few black/ Latino/ Asian and immigrant enclaves of beer in the country— neighborhoods, areas, brewers, clubs, drinkers, tasting, and so on— where beer is celebrated to its fullest. This will also take us into discussions of cutting-edge festivals like Fresh Fest and High Gravity Hip-Hop, as well as clever collaborations that are challenging the centuries-long relationship between whiteness and beer. Whether the racialized social structure of beer is cracking or not, this chapter highlights the positive developments that may indicate a way forward concerning equality and inclusion in beer, as well as ideas for (re)crafting beer and beer culture. Indeed, as we were writing the final draft of this book, things were moving really quickly.

On September 9, 2019, J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham (‘Dr. J’), the Brewers Association's first ever diversity ambassador (appointed in April 2018), tweeted the following from her very active account, which is always abuzz with issues of craft beer and diversity:

• 1. Take selfie.

• 2. Tell us something about your wonderful, complex, individual self.

• 3. Tag your post with #IAmCraftBeer

As of the time of writing, almost one month to the day of that tweet, there have been over 200 responses within the thread, it has been retweeted almost 130 times, and it has been liked by almost 500 Twitter users.