12+ Canadian Breweries Advocating for Racial Justice and Social Change

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Alexa Keeler

Canada undeniably brews good beer (there are over 1,000 craft breweries across the country), but these breweries are also using their platform to amplify marginalized voices that need to be heard and to support the organizations and initiatives that need allied support to drive change. Cheers to that.

Collective Arts Brewing

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Collective Arts Brewing, Hamilton, ON

Renowned for the incredible rolling artwork featured on their bottles and cans, Collective Arts is using their privilege and platform to highlight artists from marginalized groups whose art tackles social justice issues in a <a href="https://collectiveartsbrewing.com/art/539042/?series_id=539042&art_art=true&art_music=true&art_video=true" rel="noopener" target="_blank">limited-edition series</a> called Amplified Voices. A curator panel worked to narrow down over 1000 submissions to 36 pieces that make up the limited-edition series. Collective Arts is aiming to raise $10,000 through their Collective More charity initiative and a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/amplified-voices" rel="noopener" target="_blank">GoFundMe page</a> to help organizations that support Black and Indigenous communities in Canada and the US: <a href="https://www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Black Legal Action Centre Ontario</a>, <a href="https://www.nwac.ca/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Native Women’s Association of Canada</a> and <a href="https://www.blackartfutures.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Black Art Futures Fund</a>.
Wellington Brewery

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Wellington Brewery, Guelph, ON

In October 2020, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJv9UcILlR0/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Wellington Brewery partnered with The Lacuna Collective</a>, which consists of poet and Wellington employee Truth Is…, certified beer sommelier Lexi Pham and <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/food-network-insider/blog/ren-navarro-beer-diversity/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Beer. Diversity. founder Ren Navarro</a>, to create Nothing Civil IPA. The beer is described as “a liquid protest.” The brewery issued two releases of this beer, which raised a total of $5,415 for <a href="https://blacklivesmatter.ca/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Black Lives Matter</a> in 2020. While this beer is not available for sale right now, they are hoping to bring this back again in 2021. Each can of Nothing Civil features the following poem by Truth Is… on the label.
North Brewing Company

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North Brewing, Dartmouth, NS

North Brewing collaborated with the Change is Brewing Collective in Nova Scotia for <a href="https://www.northbrewing.ca/northproducts/change-is-brewing-cherry-brook-wheat-tshirts" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Cherry Brook Wheat</a>, named after the rural community of Cherry Brook, which has a predominantly Black population and is home to the <a href="http://web1.bccnsweb.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia</a>. 100 per cent of profits from its sales were donated to Change is Brewing, Black Cultural Centre and two local high schools to support programs that address <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/food-network-insider/blog/what-is-food-insecurity/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">food insecurity</a>. North also launched <a href="https://www.northbrewing.ca/diversity-and-inclusion-scholarship" rel="noopener" target="_blank">North Brewing Co. Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship</a>.
Muddy York Brewing

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Muddy York Brewing, East York, ON

In 2018, Muddy York released Resistance Dry-Hopped, donating part of the proceeds to <a href="https://idlenomore.ca/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Idle No More</a>, <a href="https://blacklivesmatter.ca/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Black Lives Matter Toronto</a>, <a href="https://www.youthline.ca/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LGBT Youthline</a> and <a href="http://lifelinesyria.ca/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Lifeline Syria</a>. In June of 2020, Muddy York Brewing started a "Make a Donation, Get a Gift" initiative, inviting patrons to make a donation to a charity or organization fighting Black oppression or furthering the lives of Black, Indigenous and POC, offering them $10 off their next online beer purchase. They’re now teaming up with Ren Navarro of <a href="https://www.beer-diversity.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Beer. Diversity.</a> and <a href="https://www.vqhfarms.ca/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">VQH Farms</a> to brew an extra-stout called "The Entire Ocean in a Drop XXX Stout." 100 per cent of profits will be go to Beer. Diversity. and to <a href="https://niacentre.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Nia Black Centre for the Arts</a>.
Parallel 49 Brewing Company

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Parallel 49, Vancouver, BC

Vancouver brewery Parallel 49 will be releasing a new brew in collaboration with Beer. Diversity.’s Ren Navarro. It will be a West Coast style IPA called The Ren-Aissance. Proceeds from the beer’s sales will support <a href="http://www.hogansalleysociety.org/about-hogans-alley/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Hogan’s Alley Society</a>, a non-profit organization composed of civil rights activists, business professionals, community organizations, artists, writers and academics committed to daylighting the presence of Black history in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia.
Left Field Brewery

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Left Field Brewery, Toronto, ON

Left Field Brewery announced the launch of “Beer For Everybody” in November 2020, which aims to amplify and support local organizations that are doing the work to dismantle systemic inequities. The initiative includes fundraising through the sale of beer, apparel and other merchandise for organizations such as <a href="https://foodshare.net/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">FoodShare</a> — an organization that focuses on food justice by working to dismantle oppressive structures that hold poverty and food insecurity in place. Left Field also started an annual entrance scholarship for BIPOC students to the Niagara College Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management diploma program.
People's Pint Brewing Company

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People's Pint, Toronto, ON

Brewed in collaboration with Ren Navarro of Beer. Diversity., <a href="https://peoplespint.com/products/obey-the-rules-west-coast-ipa" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Obey the Rules</a> is a West Coast style IPA that is a throwback to the classic, haze-free IPA. A portion of the proceeds of the beer were donated to Beer. Diversity. and the <a href="https://blackhealthalliance.ca/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Black Health Alliance</a>, a community-led charity that works to build innovative solutions to improve Black health and well-being.
Niche Brewing

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Niche Brewing, Hanwell, NB

Niche Brewing is a very small brewery: they do not have a taproom and most of their sales are in kegs. Despite their meager size, in 2020 they held a fundraising raffle in support of <a href="https://www.blmfredericton.ca/)," rel="noopener" target="_blank">Black Lives Matter Fredericton</a> to help support their development of a resource website for teachers to more easily incorporate Black history of New Brunswick into their curriculum, as well as a scholarship for Black students at University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University.
Lost Craft Beer

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Lost Craft Beer, Toronto, ON

Toronto-based brewery Lost Craft Beer was Ontario’s first minority-owned brewing company. Diversity and community are at the heart of their business. One of their staple beers is Divercity – a small batch medium-bodied Helles Lager. The Divercity can was designed with a tower silhouette comprised of 14 of the most spoken languages in Toronto. Lost Craft has established a partnership with the <a href="https://ccdi.ca/our-story/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Canadian Center for Diversity and Inclusion</a> (CCDI) where 10 cents from every Divercity can sold at the LCBO in March will be donated to CCDI.
Brunswick Bierworks

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Brunswick Bierworks, Toronto, ON

Brunswick Bierworks acknowledges their privilege and responsibility to the community right on their homepage. They managed to raise over $20,000 in 2020, donating to a number of charities including <a href="https://blacklivesmatter.ca/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Black Lives Matter Canada</a> and <a href="https://bbpa.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Black Business and Professional Association</a>, a non-profit, charitable organization that seeks to advance Canada’s Black communities by addressing equity and opportunity for the Black community in business, employment, education and economic development.
XhAle Brew Co.

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XhAle Brew Co., Calgary, AB

For this Alberta brewery, inclusion and social justice is at the core of their business model. XhAle Brew Co. is Alberta’s first employee-owned brewery, a democratic model that gives everyone a say. Upon launching in June 2020, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBCFHnKnDw7/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">their first Instagram post</a> stated: “We have seen craft beer change and make people's lives better through community, connection, social awareness, giving back and sharing. @xhalebrewco builds its foundation on this. Each carefully designed & beautifully executed release will involve community & a clear social message...” XhAle’s first release was a hopped peach wheat ale called Impeachable, a shot squarely aimed at former US President Donald Trump in the days leading up to the American election.
Black is Beautiful

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Black is Beautiful Initiative

<a href="https://blackisbeautiful.beer/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Black is Beautiful</a> is a collaboration that was initiated by Weathered Souls Brewing in San Antonio, Texas. Its aim is to “bring awareness to the injustices that many people of color face daily.” After a Sharon Ruyter, a Black Calgarian communications professional and craft beer enthusiast, challenged several Calgary breweries that had published social media posts expressing support for <a href="https://blacklivesmatter.ca/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Black Lives Matter</a>, asking them to address systemic racism and increase diversity with action, over 1,000 breweries in 20 countries participated. They released Black is Beautiful-branded beer and donated the proceeds to organizations that support equality and inclusion. A <a href="https://www.canadianbeernews.com/2020/07/09/canadian-breweries-announce-participation-in-black-is-beautiful-campaign/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">host of Canadian breweries participated</a>, with donations to organizations across the country.
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