Celeste Beatty

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Celeste Beatty (born 1964) is the first Black woman to own a brewery in the United States.[1][2] She established her brewery, Harlem Brewing Company, in 2000.[3]

Personal life[]

In 1964, Beatty was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[4] She graduated from Shaw University in 1984.[5] Beatty's family members had moved from North Carolina to Harlem during the 1950s and 60s, and she followed them.[6] Beatty has a son, Khouri, who was born around 1982.[7]

Career[]

Beatty first started working in the non-profit sector for organizations that ran homeless shelters and worked with artists.[8] However, after experimenting with a home brewing kit in the 1990s, Beatty pivoted and started to pursue brewing.[8][7] Beatty founded her brewery, Harlem Brewing Co., in November 2000.[9] Beatty had the support of Sylvia Woods, founder and owner of Sylvia's Restaurant, who helped Beatty promote Harlem Brewing Co. in her restaurants.[9][7]

Beatty's company's products are being sold in Whole Foods, Walmart, and Fairway Market.[10] Her "Renaissance Wit" won the Best Brew of New York City in 2018.[1]

She has done collaborations with other Black brewers across the country. In 2021, Harlem Brewing Co. collaborated with Montclair Brewery to create a porter called "Noble Like It Is" as a way to honor Gil Noble.[11] In 2018, Beatty partnered with Briana Brake, founder and head brewer of Spaceway Brewing Company, LLC. to open Rocky Mount Brewery.[12] Briana serves as the head brewer and CEO of Rocky Mount Brewery, while Beatty is the Co-Brewer and Adviser.[12][13]

Beatty is also a member of the New York State Brewers Association, the Brewers Association, and the New York City Brewers Guild.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Gmoser, Justin. "Meet the first black woman to own a brewery in the US". Insider. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  2. ^ a b Angotti-Jones, Gabriella; Wang, Vivian (2017-06-15). "New York Today: Brewing in Harlem". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  3. ^ Dzhanova, Yelena. "The brewing industry is facing a social reckoning. Now Black brewers are making craft beer more inclusive". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  4. ^ "Harlem Beer Distributing is looking to diversify Charlotte's craft beer scene". Q City Metro. 2019-05-20. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  5. ^ "Alumna Celeste Beatty Brews Beer, Breaks Barriers | Shaw University". www.shawu.edu. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  6. ^ "Harlem Brewer Mixing Things Up In The Beer Industry". 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  7. ^ a b c "Take the Ale Train and Discover Harlem Brew". Edible Manhattan. 2010-03-07. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  8. ^ a b Michalska, Aleksandra (2020-01-25). "Harlem brewer taps her African-American roots for flavor". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  9. ^ a b "Briana Brake and Celeste Beatty on Ghosts and Beauty in Rocky Mount". CraftBeer.com. 2020-02-28. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  10. ^ "NY Craft Brewer's Beer to Be Sold at Walmart | News". www.specialtyfood.com. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  11. ^ King, Rebecca. "Black History Month: Montclair Brewery & Harlem Brewing Co. release brew inspired by Gil Noble". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  12. ^ a b "Briana Brake and Celeste Beatty Team Up to Launch Brewery at Rocky Mount Mills". MediaRoom. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  13. ^ Corp, Riley Davis NC News Intern. "N.C. breweries are joining the Black is Beautiful beer collaboration, but only two in the state are Black-owned". Greensboro News and Record. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
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