Celeste Beatty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Celeste Beatty
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Beatty speaking at Smithsonian Food History Weekend in 2017
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| Education | Shaw University |
| Occupation | Brewer |
| Known for | First Black woman to own a brewery in the United States |
Celeste Beatty (born 1964) is a groundbreaking American brewer. She is known for being the first Black woman to own a brewery in the United States. She started her company, Harlem Brewing Company, in the year 2000.
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About Celeste Beatty
Celeste Beatty was born in 1964 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She went to Shaw University, graduating in 1984. She studied International Relations there. Beatty was interested in Shaw University partly because the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was founded there. SNCC was an important civil rights group.
In the early 1990s, Beatty moved to Harlem, New York. Some of her family had already moved there from North Carolina in the 1950s and 60s. She has a son named Khouri.
Starting a Brewing Career
Beatty first worked for non-profit groups. These groups helped people in homeless shelters and supported artists. Her interest in brewing began in the 1990s. She got a homebrewing kit as a gift. She started teaching homebrewing classes from her home.
Beatty was also inspired by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. They are the founders of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Beatty helped run their first partner shop in Harlem. It opened in July 1992. This ice cream shop worked with Harlem Ark of Freedom. This non-profit group ran a shelter for men without homes. Some of these men worked at the ice cream shop. Beatty learned how small businesses could help their communities from this experience.
Founding Harlem Brewing Co.
Beatty officially started her brewery, Harlem Brewing Co., in November 2000. She received support from Sylvia Woods. Sylvia Woods was the owner of Sylvia's Restaurant. She helped Beatty promote Harlem Brewing Co. in her restaurants.
Beatty gets ideas for her beers from Harlem's history. She also studies West African brewing methods and ingredients.
Harlem Brewing Co. Beers
Harlem Brewing Co. makes several unique beers:
- Harlem Sugar Hill Golden Ale: This beer is inspired by Duke Ellington's song Take the 'A' Train. The song mentions Sugar Hill, a famous part of Harlem.
- Harlem Renaissance Wit: This beer has flavors like cumin, grains of paradise, orange peel, and coriander.
- 125th Street IPA: This India Pale Ale is named after a very well-known street in Harlem.
- Queen Stout: This stout beer has flavors of coffee, chocolate, and cinnamon. It honors Beatty's mother, Rachel Patterson Beatty Jackson.
In 2006, a large company called Anheuser-Busch wanted to buy Harlem Brewing Co. But Beatty decided not to sell. Today, Harlem Brewing Co.'s beers are sold in stores like Whole Foods, Walmart, and Fairway Market. They are available in New York, Virginia, and North Carolina. In 2018, Beatty's "Renaissance Wit" won the "Best Brew of New York City" award.
Collaborations and Future Plans
Celeste Beatty has worked with other Black brewers across the country. In 2018, she teamed up with Briana Brake. Briana is the founder of Spaceway Brewing Company. Together, they opened Rocky Mount Brewery in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Briana is the head brewer and CEO. Beatty is a Co-Brewer and Adviser.
In 2021, Harlem Brewing Co. worked with Montclair Brewery. This is another Black-owned brewery in New Jersey. They created a porter beer called "Noble Like It Is." This beer honored Gil Noble, a Black journalist. He was born in Harlem and lived in Montclair. Brewers chose a porter style because it is popular with Jamaican beer drinkers. They added Jamaican pimento (allspice) for flavor.
In 2020, Celeste Beatty and her brothers, Carl and Pernell Beatty, started Harlem Brew South. This new project is in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. It will be a brewery, a taproom (where people can try beers), and a training center. It is being built in an old tobacco warehouse. They plan to open it in 2023.
In 2021, Beatty was featured in a documentary film called One Pint at a Time. Other brewers like Alisa Bowens-Mercado and Teri Fahrendorf were also in the film.
Beatty is also a member of several important brewing groups. These include the New York State Brewers Association, the Brewers Association, and the New York City Brewers Guild.
