New Black Owned Brewery Opens In Logan Square
New Black Owned Brewery Opens In Logan Square
By Tia Carol Jones
The Moor’s Brewing Company is partnering with Steep Ravine Brewing on a new brewery, taproom space and sports bar. Diversey House, located at 2601 W. Diversey, opens today Feb. 5th.
Moor’s Brewing Company has been operating for about three and a half years. The company was looking for a retail space of its own. Steep Ravine was recalibrating and pivoting. The two brewing companies met and when the idea was pitched Moor’s Brewing Company thought it was a great idea.
Jamhal Johnson, co-founder of Moor’s Brewing Company, said the partnership is a great way to show the power of collaboration.
“We thought it was prudent to stand on the shoulder of giants and get our feet wet in the taproom space. Not many African Americans own a brewery or a taproom space in the city of Chicago,” Johnson said. He added that less than 1% of all African Americans own a brewery in the whole industry.
The Diversey House is also a way for Moor’s Brewing Company to engage with its North side customers, who love their beer and purchase it. Johnson said during the past year, Moor’s Brewing Company has been getting to know the owners of Steep Ravine. For Diversey House, they partnered with Chef Mark Bynum, a three-time Chopped champion on the food. While Bynum is from Long Island, NY, he has been looking to break into the Chicago culinary scene.
“He has some great dishes that we want to leverage and pair with our great beers and we’re looking to have a great space,” Johnson said.
Johnson said it was important for the Moor’s Brewing Company to open the Diversey House during Black History Month. There was a soft opening on Feb. 1st for family and friends. In addition to the brewery and restaurant, Diversey House has a beer garden, an outdoor patio, and art commissioned by notable Black artists, like Afrokilla. Johnson said the goal is for it to be a warm, inviting space, with lots of televisions for people to watch sports.
“We’re just trying to provide an elevated sports bar, brewery space in Logan Square, showing the power of collaboration and providing a space of shared values and common goals,” Johnson said. He added that all of the stakeholders in the project want to add something new to the Chicago culinary scene.
All six of the Moor’s Brewing Company beers will be on tap at Diversey House. Notably, Moor’s Brewing Company is creating special beers highlighting the history of Patsy Young, a formerly enslaved Black woman who brewed beer.
In addition to opening Diversey House, Moor’s Brewing Company is also doing demonstrations at local supermarkets and liquor stores in the month of February and March to give people a chance to try their beers.
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