Draft:Montclair Brewery

Montclair Brewery is a microbrewery in Montclair, New Jersey and was the first black-owned brewery in New Jersey.

History/About
Montclair Brewery is run by a husband and wife duo, Denise Ford Sawadogo and Leopold ‘Leo’ Sawadogo. Founded on paper in 2014, Montclair Brewery officially opened for business in 2018. The brewery, located at 101 Walnut Street, Montclair, NJ, occupies the space that used to be a local furniture re-upholstery business called Poor Richards. The brewery pays homage to the building's past with their "Poor Richards" India Pale Ale.

The microbrewery and tasting room was born from Leo's passion of home brewing. Head brewer and co-owner Leo Sawadogo is from West Africa, while co-owner Denise Sawadogo was raised in Brooklyn by a Jamaican family. Only 1% of all breweries in America are black-owned, and Montclair Brewery is one of them. The couple says their beer is inspired by their culture. Craft Beer writes, "The brewery’s beer menu is typically full of beers that reflect their upbringing from Hibiscus Dream, a pale ale brewed with the flower. Kingston Porter is a beer named for Jamaica in honor of Ford-Sawadogo’s family history".



Beers
The Montclair Brewery has a wide variety of beers. The beers are often inspired by the owner's cultural upbringings. The brewery has Golden Ales such as Golden Buddha and Baobiere, IPAs like National Emergency, and Stouts like Black is Beautiful. Their tap list is rotating constantly, with the capacity of up to 20+ beers on tap at a time.

In addition to their core lineup of beers, Montclair Brewery also collaborates with local businesses and community organizations. The brewery also does special seasonal releases for occasions such as Black History Month.

The brewery also sells to some distributors such as Whole Foods Market and local liquor stores.

Licensing & Associations
Montclair Brewery has a limited brewery license from the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control and is part of the New Jersey Brewer's Association.