Bringing Culture to the Cup: NB2A Revolutionizes Craft Beer

June 11, 2024 | Julie Rhodes

Craft beer has always been a staple of local communities, serving as a gathering point for people to share stories over a pint. The sense of belonging and support from local patrons fueled the growth of craft beer during its peak years. However, there’s a significant opportunity yet to be fully realized—the untapped potential of Black consumers and brewers in the craft beer industry.

Read More

Copper State Beer Festival, Mesa AZ | Jan 13th 2024

February 2, 2024 | Ruvani de Silva

Sweaters are being stripped off, sleeves are being rolled up, and hats are perched on heads as the sparkling winter sun permeates Mesa, AZ’s Riverview Park. Copper State Beer Festival is in full swing, and the weather is offering up its desert best for the 5,000 visitors the event has attracted. This is the third year the festival has taken place, drawing beer lovers from across Arizona and further afield to one of Phoenix’s hippest suburbs for an afternoon of imbibement. As Arizona’s craft beer scene blooms like a cactus flower, consumers are catching on, creating space for this frankly huge event featuring 72 breweries, plus a range of cideries, wineries, meaderies, distilleries, seltzer makers, bars and bottle shops. While the focus is firmly on beer, this is an event with something for everyone and an opportunity for local businesses to showcase their offerings alongside high-profile national names. There’s even a skating rink and axe throwing, which beats the heck out of the usual spin-the-wheel attractions beer festivals offer (FYI there was also spin-the-wheel).

Read More

South Asian Heritage Month | Why It Matters To The Beer Industry

August 9, 2022 | Ruvani de Silva

Being a South Asian in beer within the diaspora can be a lonely business. As per Brewer’s Association data from 2021, just 2% of US breweries are owned by Asians, with no available information on South Asians specifically. With so few South Asians involved in the beer industry, taking time to reflect on and celebrate South Asian Heritage Month* (July 18 -August 1**) offers an opportunity to amplify our presence, support one another, and reach out and share our culture through the medium of beer, our chosen career or interest.

Read More