Get ready for Fresh Fest 2.0
Since it debuted as the country’s first black beer festival in August 2018, Fresh Fest has had quite a year.
That first fest, at Nova Place on the North Side, became the subject of a short documentary, “A Fresh Perspective,” that screened at the New York African Film Festival, Pittsburgh Indie Film Festival and others.
The festival has gotten national attention, including in April, when judges nominated it for best beer festival in a USA Today “10 Best Readers’ Choice” poll and people voted it No. 2.
Then in May, Fresh Fest received one of the first “diversity and inclusion event grant” from the Brewers Association trade group, which also is trying to bring more diversity to craft beer.
In July, a mini Fresh Fest beer fest and panel discussion was held in the Hill District, “meeting the people where they’re at” for just $ 5.
As the main Fresh Fest returns this weekend, as an expanded Friday and Saturday event with brewers and writers and other beer aficionados from around the country, Pittsburgh still doesn’t have a black brewer or assistant brewer. But the co- founders of the festival — Day Bracey, a comedian and “Drinking Partners” podcaster, and Mike Potter of Black Brew Culture — feel their efforts are helping to bring diversity and inclusion to the craft beer industry and its culture, both in this region and beyond.
“We see people around the country who no longer feel like they’re the only person [ of color] in the room,” Mr. Bracey says. He can’t believe some of the rooms he’s been in this past year, including the brewhouse of Baltimore’s Guinness Open Gate Brewery, which will be pouring beers at this year’s fest. At Hershey’s Troegs Independent Brewing, along with Apis Mead & Winery, he got to help brew one of the collaboration brews between breweries and black entrepreneurs and artists that power the festival and many of the conversations and connections it creates — a dry- hopped honey ale with peaches and apricots.
Among many other interesting collabs is a set of three that nonprofit Realty Thinking brewed at Allegheny City Brewing Co. In a shoutout to Gus and Yiaia’s ice ball cart, they named their IPA Landmark, and they’re flavoring it with three popular ice ball flavors: cherry, pineapple and watermelon.
More people as well as sponsors are coming from farther away for this year’s festival, including the Brewers Association’s diversity ambassador, J. Nikol Jackson- Beckham, Ph. D., and Ren Navarro, who runs Canada’s beer- diversity. com ( and who collaborated with West Newton’s Bloom Brew on Silk Road, a Canadian Red Rose tea brew made in three versions with different honeys — spring, goldenrod and Japanese knotweed).
There are some serious panel discussions, but Mr. Potter says he’s also really looking forward to the fun, including
performances by Starship Mantis and Nappy Roots ( bands that did beers with Helltown and Dancing Gnome).
This year’s Fresh Fest starts Friday at East Liberty’s Ace Hotel, where there will be a two- part “State of the Culture” panel discussion on “Diversity & Inclusion Beyond Browner Taprooms” and “Beer, Brand and Buildout — Creating an Empire Out of Hops,” followed by a bottle share.
One of the first- time attendees who’s really looking forward to that first day is Hannah Ferguson, of Youngstown, Ohio, who works as a brewer at Modern Methods Brewing in neighboring Warren. She’s used to being one of the few people of color at beer festivals. She says that’s why she’s so excited for this one: “To me, it’s like a family reunion.”
Admission to that afternoon is $ 20 or $ 25 at the door and is included for those who have VIP tickets to Saturday’s fest, which are $ 150. That gets attendees in from noon to 3 p. m. Saturday and into a “Drinking Partners” podcast featuring Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver, plus a spread catered by Washington, D. C., chef Kwame Onwuachi; special beers; and an official swag bag.
Regular fest admission from 5 to 9 p. m. is $ 45, and you can get in starting at 3 p. m. ( and nab some special beers and a swag bag) for a $ 70 early- admission ticket. There’s live art as well as live music, lots of food vendors and, of course, “Fresh” merch, half inside and half outside at Nova Place. They’re selling no more than 3,000 tickets.
Everybody gets to keep a 5- ounce souvenir glass for unlimited tastings of 45 collaborations plus brews from 23 black- owned breweries.
For all the details on the beer collaborations, participating breweries and distilleries and food and merchandise vendors, bands and DJs, as well as for tickets, visit www. freshfestbeerfest. com.
The festival’s next phase will be to also hold the festival somewhere else as well as here where it started.
“Not everyone can travel,” Mr. Bracey says. “Part of this festival is breaking down those barriers and meeting people where they are.”
He and Mr. Potter believe there are black brewers in Pittsburgh’s future — they point to the forthcoming opening of Harrisburg’s black- owned Harris Family Brewery — and more diversity of all sorts. That’s what the festival is shooting for.
“And a nap,” says a very busy Mr. Bracey. “I’d like to see that happen.”