{"id":37299,"date":"2025-11-04T09:25:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T09:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/37299\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T09:25:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T09:25:11","slug":"peoples-beer-fest-celebrating-black-brewers-and-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/37299\/","title":{"rendered":"Peoples Beer Fest: Celebrating Black Brewers and Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Peoples Beer Fest<\/a> returned to Sacramento\u2019s Oak Park neighborhood Oct. 11, drawing hundreds of visitors to celebrate craft brewing, culture, and community. Hosted by Oak Park Brewing Co., the festival turned Fourth Avenue behind the brewery into a lively block-party with food vendors, live music, and more than 30 breweries from across the country.<\/p>\n

Organizers describe it as California\u2019s largest Black beer festival \u2014 an event created to amplify Black brewers and brands while welcoming beer lovers of every background.<\/p>\n

The Peoples Beer Fest began in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Oak Park Brewing Co. and community partners sought new ways to bring people together safely.<\/p>\n

The brewery also pays tribute to Theodore Mack Sr., one of the nation\u2019s first Black brewery owners, whose legacy continues to inspire brewers and events like The Peoples Beer Fest.<\/p>\n

\"AnAn ethnically diverse crowd of all ages and several hundred showed up for the fest. Douglas Carter, OBSERVER<\/p>\n

For Rodg Little, organizer of the festival and co-owner of Oak Park Brewing Co., the event represents a personal vision and the brewery\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was something I saw from the start,\u201d Little said. \u201cIt\u2019s growing because it\u2019s who we are at Oak Park Brewing \u2014 a community built around beer and belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the brewery remains focused on spotlighting Black-owned beer brands while keeping its doors open to everyone. \u201cWe\u2019re a Black-beer-brand-focused company,\u201d he explained, noting the strong presence of Black brewers at this year\u2019s event.<\/p>\n

Little said his own path into the industry began with inspiration from Mack Sr., a pioneering Black brewer he discovered while researching the history of brewing. \u201cThe door was open for me because of Mr. Mack,\u201d he said. \u201cI was still just a homebrewer then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, six years into his brewing journey, Little continues to work alongside his mentor, who has nearly two decades of commercial experience. Oak Park Brewing\u2019s current ownership launched on Juneteenth 2019, a date Little said was chosen intentionally to reflect freedom, new beginnings, and community.<\/p>\n

\"TioTio Hunter, left, co-founder of Crown and Hops Brewery in Inglewood, was among several Black brewers who participated in the Peoples Beer Fest. Douglas Carter, OBSERVER<\/p>\n

Theodore Mack II, the son of Theodore Mack Sr., said his father\u2019s story was always about empowerment, not alcohol.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen my father passed, he wanted Black people to know about his legacy,\u201d Mack II said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t about drinking; it was about empowerment.\u201d<\/p>\n

On April 12, 1970, Theodore \u201cTed\u201d Mack Sr. and a group of investors purchased the Peoples Brewing Co. in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, making it the first African American-owned major brewery in the United States. His goal was not only to produce great beer but to create opportunity \u2014 a message that still resonates.<\/p>\n

He spent years searching for the original Peoples Beer recipe, which his father created after purchasing the Peoples Brewery. \u201cI\u2019d been trying to find it for years,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not a brewer myself, I\u2019m a businessperson, but I wanted to help preserve that history.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mack II said he eventually found it after what he described as a moment of faith and persistence. \u201cI kind of said to God, \u2018I tried and never found it,\u2019 and He said, \u2018Do exactly what I said \u2014 put in there about a master brewer.\u2019 So I went online, pressed the button, and there it was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Peoples Beer is once again being brewed, available on tap and in cans at Oak Park Brewing Co., where it serves as a living tribute to the elder Mack\u2019s pioneering work.<\/p>\n

His story links generations of Black entrepreneurship in brewing, from his father\u2019s groundbreaking ownership of the Peoples Brewery to the new wave of brewers and festivals inspired by that legacy.<\/p>\n

Among those in attendance was Jon Renthrope, president of the National Black Brewers Association and founder of Cajun Fire Brewing Co. in New Orleans, the first Black-owned beer company in the U.S. South.<\/p>\n

Renthrope said his organization has about 300 members, including sponsors, and that around 85 Black-owned breweries operate across the country. Events like the Peoples Beer Fest, he explained, are crucial for connecting those brewers and expanding their reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese kinds of festivals promote fellowship and give us access to markets we might not otherwise reach,\u201d Renthrope said.<\/p>\n

He noted that Sacramento\u2019s festival stands out for its diversity and community reach. \u201cEach state has its own group of Black-owned beer companies,\u201d he said, \u201cbut what\u2019s special about this one is how diverse it is \u2014 you see families, businesses, people from all walks of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Renthrope added that the festival creates real economic value beyond the beer itself. \u201cIt\u2019s an ecosystem that generates revenue,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s a real incentive for the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tio Hunter, co-founder of Crown and Hops Brewing Co. in Inglewood, said his journey into brewing began with a passion for the craft and a realization about who was missing from it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI fell in love with beer back in 2006,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cI started chasing breweries I admired and realized that none of the brewers I met were Black, or even people of color.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the lack of representation came not from exclusion but lack of exposure. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t that anyone was being kept out,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was about access \u2014 craft beer just wasn\u2019t reaching our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crown and Hops was founded to help change that, with a focus on excellence and visibility. \u201cWe strive to make the best styles possible,\u201d Hunter said. The company\u2019s flagship beers \u2014 The Dopest IPA and 8 Trill Pils \u2014 are available in Northern California, including Sacramento. For the fall season, the brewery also produces Dope-toberfest, its take on a traditional M\u00e4rzen-style beer.<\/p>\n

Alongside the beer tents, The Peoples Beer Fest featured local artists, small businesses, and food vendors. A family area offered children\u2019s activities such as painting and crafts, underscoring the festival\u2019s commitment to community.<\/p>\n

By evening, the block outside Oak Park Brewing was filled with music, conversation, and the shared sense that the festival had become more than a celebration of beer \u2014 it was a celebration of belonging.<\/p>\n

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