I arrived in Las Vegas on Tuesday, April 23, for the National Black Brewers Association (NB2A) events happening at the Brewers Association’s Craft Beer Conference (CBC). This was my first time for both Las Vegas and CBC, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. It turned out to be a worthwhile time to cheer on the efforts of the NB2A and Lifting Lucy as they spotlight and support the diversity of American craft beer industry.

On Tuesday evening, the offical afterparty for CBC was the NB2A tap takeover at Beer Zombies Brewing. Along with selections from Vegas’ own Beer Zombies and Tenaya Creek, attendees could enjoy selections from Weathered Souls, Crowns & Hops, Oak Park and more.

Later, Teo Hunter with Crowns & Hops facilitated a Black is Beautiful Vol. 2 Q&A session with Marcus Baskerville (Weathered Souls) and Chris Jacobs (Beer Zombies).

Wednesday morning I met with Lifting Lucy’s Ashlie Randolph for coffee and conversation with Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela from South Africa to learn more about her industry efforts there.

Later that afternoon, NB2A Executive Director Kevin Asato delivered the State of the Black Brewer Address. Asato shared that a pamphlet or paper will available in May 2024 detailing Black breweries and their performance and trends against the industry.

“If we are able to connect with Black culture authentically – and you can do this by supporting these brands…we will have a significant impact not just for the Black brewing community but for the craft beer community,” said Asato.