MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Jennings is very aware of the stereotype in his chosen industry: brewing.
"Thirty-five-year-old white dude with a beard, with long hair with a hat," Jennings said when asked to describe what he thought the stereotypical Minnesota brewer looked like.
"I'd say that's pretty spot on," added Greg Davenport, a friend and colleague in the brewing industry.
Jennings and Davenport, sitting alongside Phillip Owens, are not the stereotype - and that is exactly the point they're trying to get across.
The three Black men started the Black Brewers Podcast in 2021. One of their goals is to show other people of color that brewing is an option for them, too.
"You can come into these spaces [in brewing] and enjoy this space all the same as anyone else," Davenport, who works at Dangerous Man Brewing, said. "And then you can also work in these spaces, as well."
The podcast, put on through On Site Public Media, was started by the three after they met through Brewing Change Collaborative, a group focused on fostering diversity in the beverage industry. It was through Brewing Change that they realized they weren't alone.
"I was in the industry for some years before I realized they were here, too," said Owens, also at Dangerous Man, of meeting other people of color in brewing. "We were kind of just all on little islands, not realizing what was going on because we had our heads down, just working."
The three friends are clear that while this podcast may be focused on beer, it covers much more. The first episode includes a discussion about the results of the 2021 election in Minneapolis. In the most recent, there's a conversation about what it's like cooking with your mom.
"It's a window into what three homies at the bar would be talking about on a regular night, you know?" said Owens.
Recently, the podcast creators launched their first collaboration, a sour ale made in conjunction with Arbeiter Brewing in Minneapolis, where Jennings works. They named it Frequency Shift.
"The shift is upward... you essentially ascend," Owens said of the beer's name. "Because while Black History Month is about our history, we also have to look toward our future."
Frequency Shift is sold at Arbeiter Brewing, Zipps, France 44 and the Dabbler Depot, where the podcast is recorded. When buying the beer, there is an option to donate to the Black Brewers Podcast.
The three hope the podcast keeps going and their message spreads.
"I think for me, seeing people of color in this industry that look like me, it just shows that we can be in any industry and you don't feel alone," said Jennings.
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