New Jersey brewery honors Black history month with special beer series

MONTCLAIR, New Jersey -- Since 2018, New Jersey's Montclair Brewery has distinguished itself by brewing beer that honors the Black culture and the West African and Jamaican roots of its owners, Leo and Denise Sawadogo.

"It's a dream every single day to see everybody sitting here drinking beer that I made. It's just mind-boggling to me," said Leo Sawadogo.

Every February, as the country celebrates Black history month, the Montclair brewery has made it a tradition to produce new craft brews that pay tribute to Black History and renowned Black figures.

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This year, as part of their beer series, the brewery will be honoring: Gil Noble, a distinguished journalist and former host of WABC's "Like it is", actor Chadwick Boseman, known for his starring role in the movie: The Black Panther, as well as agricultural scientist and inventor, George Washington Carver.

"Brews like the "Noble like it is", which honors Gil Noble, and which we produced in collaboration with the Harlem Brewing Company, are special because it allows us to honor Montclair history and Black history all at the same time," said Denise Ford Sawadogo.

The husband and wife duo, pride themselves in being able to incorporate a piece of their culture in every beer they produce while offering their clients and local Montclair community space where they can come together and celebrate diversity.

"It is so important for us to use our brewery as a platform to educate others about Black History and we love to incorporate ingredients from our Caribbean and African cultures into our brews," said Sawadogo.

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