This book review was written by Harry Weaver III of The Brewz Brothaz, a culture based podcast from Detroit.
As I, a Black man, sit here composing this review, I’m drinking an incredibly limited beer that white aficionados have been chasing. I can’t help but wonder how we got here and why we’re STILL here. By “here”, I mean spaces where craft beer is produced, purchased, and/or consumed and is steeped in whiteness, and, more specifically, male whiteness. There are many factors to consider when addressing this realization that the everyday beer drinker may never consider. This is where Beer and Racism: How Beer Became White, Why It Matters, and Movements to Change It comes into play.
In about 180 pages of text, Nathaniel G. Chapman & David L. Brunsma do a thorough job of analyzing the “whiteness” of beer from its very beginnings in America to the present day. Initially, I had concerns about this book being “too academic”, and as such, creating too narrow of an audience. I was quickly proven wrong. While the authors do spend time discussing methodology, the book isn’t bogged down by it. Chapman and Brunsma masterfully build a timeline of the racialization of beer in America. They do this by not only discussing beer but by honestly and thoroughly detailing the many social dynamics that have systematically kept Black people out of the beer world.
The glaring idea that runs through the book relative to Black people and other minoritized/marginalized communities is access to or lack thereof. Whether it be a lack of exposure due to a homogeneous group of friends that is the result of the segregated nature of the United State or the lack of effort on behalf of craft producers to reach Black customers. All of these ideas are dissected and discussed in depth in ways that, to this point in time, have not been brought forward and organized into a book.
Chapman and Brunsma address real issues in the craft beer community with firsthand accounts from a multitude of important players including industry insiders, producers, influencers, distributors, etc. For example, the malt liquor craze is analyzed and noted that it was not intended for Black consumers, but ended up being the introduction to “beer” for many urban Black men. There is also a substantial amount of detail from the distributors’ perspective as to why Black communities are left out of craft beer producers’ marketing strategies.
While it may seem like a bleak picture is being painted throughout much of the book, it’s not all “doom and gloom.” Chapman and Brunsma are intentional in recognizing the movements that are currently underway to bring diversity to the very white and very male craft beer industry. By acknowledging Black scholars, influencers, producers, and consistent consumers, we begin to see the barriers being chipped away at uncovering a path moving forward.
This book is a must-read for anyone with a real interest in the craft beer industry. Readers will get unexpected societal lessons as well as great insights into the craft beer world from an often unrecognized perspective. There will surely be those who see the title and pose the obligatory question: “Why does EVERYTHING have to be about race?” An open mind and honest assessment of this book will more than adequately answer that question.
Cheers!
Disclaimer: Harry was provided with an advanced reader copy of this book to review.
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