Emily Krauser Last updated Dec 13, 2020

Beer has been giving back lately.

First, there was the Resilience Butte County Proud IPA, the 2018 beer Sierra Nevada created to raise money for the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund, which ended up raising millions of dollars to help victims of the deadly Northern California fire that blazed the previous November. Then there was this summer’s All Together, Other Half’s IPA to support hospitality professionals amid the coronavirus pandemic, with a recipe that other breweries could use to create their own hazy or West Coast versions and donate part of the proceeds to the local charity of their choice, as long as it supported the bar and restaurant community.

Now, Black Is Beautiful is the latest beer being brewed for an important cause: to raise awareness to help fight the injustices faced by people of color on a daily basis and raise funds for police reform and legal defense funds. The project was created by Marcus Baskerville, the founder and head brewer of Weathered Souls Brewing in San Antonio, Texas, who decided on a high ABV stout to showcase different shades of black.

Brewers are encouraged to put their own spins on Baskerville’s open-source recipe, which helps drive the metaphor home, and it’s a truly delicious way to take a stand and show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

The main goal is to raise awareness. Baskerville felt it was important to use his platform, especially as a Black business owner in an industry that has largely ignored or minimized people of color. “I was dealing with some of the frustrations that were going on with murders,” he told Forbes of what helped push him to create a collaborative beer. “Breonna Taylor, George Floyd. All of these situations that keep arising.”

More than 1,000 breweries in all 50 states, as well as 20 countries, have opted into the project, with 123 of them right here in California. While Weather Souls is raising money for Colin Kaepernick’s organization Know Your Rights Camp, each individual brewery is encouraged to choose a non-profit or cause of their choice, and Los Angeles County breweries are doing just that.

Hopped LA has all the info on which of our local breweries are making Black Is Beautiful, how they’ve tweaked the recipe, and what cause they’re donating to. In addition to those on the map, Crowns and Hops has put out a version that will benefit Black Lives Matter Los Angeles and the Anti Police-Terror Project (their taproom isn’t open yet), and a number of homebrewers have made versions as well.

Here’s to sippin’ on good beer for a good cause!

Ambitious Ales

ABV: 11%

Their Version: An Imperial Stout aged one year in bourbon barrels. Thick, rich and bold with nuances of oaky vanilla and bitter dark chocolate.

Cause: 100% of the profits will be donated to the Okra Project, a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black transgender people through home-cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources.

Released: July 22

Availability: $10/16 oz. can

Ambitious Ales

Venue

Ambitious Ales

Brewery

4019 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807

Ambitious Ales is a new 10-barrel brewery located in Long Beach's Bixby Knolls neighborhood...

Brouwerij West

ABV: 10%

Their Version: Imperial Stout

Cause: 100% of the profits will be donated to Know Your Rights Camp and the National Black Food and Justice Alliance.

Released: July 15

Availability: 16 oz. cans and 32 oz. crowlers

Brouwerij West

Venue

Brouwerij West

Brewery

110 E 22nd St, San Pedro, CA 90731

Brouwerij West produces a wide array of classic Belgian style beers alongside some of...

Angel City Brewery

ABV: 10%

Their Version: A rich, moderately sweet stout with notes of dark chocolate and a roasty finish.

Cause: Proceeds will be donated to the NAACP.

Released: July 23

Availability: $14/6-pack

Angel City Brewery

Venue

Angel City Brewery

Brewery

Angel City Brewery is an LA-based craft brewery located in the heart of Downtown...

Common Space Brewery

ABV: 7%

Their Version: A smooth, roasty, chocolatey stout.

Cause: not known

Released: July 30

Availability: $16/4-pack

Common Space Brewery

Venue

Common Space Brewery

Brewery

3411 West El Segundo Blvd, Hawthorne, CA 90250

Common Space Brewery is located in the South Bay community of Hawthorne and brews...

Firestone Walker Propagator

ABV: 10%

Their Version: An Imperial Stout consisting of a blend of Woodford Reserve-aged Parabola (30%), Heaven Hill-aged Velvet Merkin (15%), and a fresh imperial stout brewed at the Propagator (55%).

Cause: A donation will be made to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Released: July 24

Availability: $19.99/4-pack

Venue

Brewery

15 Barrel Craft Brewery in Burbank California.

Long Beach Beer Lab

ABV: 10%

Their Version: A decadent and smooth fudgy Imperial Stout.

Cause: Proceeds will be donated to the Long Beach Gray Panthers and the CA Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ).

Released: July 12

Availability: $8.99/16 oz. can

Venue

Long Beach Beer Lab

Brewery

L.B.B.L. is a small brewery and bakery in Long Beach, CA dedicated to curiously...

Los Angeles Ale Works

ABV: 10%

Their Version: Imperial Stout w/Coconut and Cacao

Cause: Proceeds will be donated on a national level to Equal Justice Initiative and on a local level to Centinela Youth Services.

Released: July 10

Availability: Crowler-only at their taproom, but 4-packs still available at select beer retailers.

Los Angeles Ale Works

Venue

Los Angeles Ale Works

Brewery

12918 Cerise Ave, Hawthorne, CA 90250

Los Angeles Ale Works is Hawthorne, CA's first production craft brewery featuring an open...

Monkish Brewing Co

ABV: 10%

Their Version: Imperial Stout

Cause: 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Released: July 3

Availability: Sold Out

Venue

Monkish Brewing Co.

Brewery

A small brewery & tasting room in Los Angeles (Torrance) creating belgian-ish beers.

Mumford Brewing Co

ABV: 10%

Their Version: Imperial Stout brewed with coffee and cacao.

Cause: Proceeds will be donated to ACLU of Southern California.

Released: June 30

Availability: $20/4-pack

Mumford Brewing

Venue

Mumford Brewing

Brewery

Mumford Brewing is a family-owned brewery and taproom located at the intersection of Litte...

Ogopogo Brewing Co

ABV: 10%

Their Version: Pastry Stout with Ugandan and Mexican Vanilla beans, Heart Roasters Ethiopia Gedeb coffee, and cinnamon.

Cause: All proceeds will be donated to Color of Change.

Released: July 15

Availability: $24/4-pack

Ogopogo Brewing

Venue

Ogopogo Brewing

Brewery

864 Commercial Ave., San Gabriel, CA 91776

Ogopogo Brewing is a small craft brewery in San Gabriel featuring a solid lineup...

Sage Vegan Bistro & Brewery

ABV: N/A

Their Version: N/A

Cause: N/A

Released: Late August

Availability: N/A

Sage Vegan Bistro & Brewery

Trustworthy Brewing Company (formerly Verdugo West) is an industrial-style production brewery with tasting room...

Twisted Oak Tavern

Scheduled for release in late August.

Cause: Motivate the Future, a motivational assembly program that focuses on inspiring children and encouraging young people to speak out against bullying at school.