When Eamoni Collier launched her beer company, Urban Garden Brewing, in 2021, she was one of a kind. Despite founding her company in Washington D.C. (aka the Chocolate City), there were no other Black-women-owned beer companies in the district. In fact, the industry is overwhelmingly white nationwide.
Now, she’s looking to go one step further and open-up the first Black woman-owned brewery in Washington, D.C.
Collier, a former bartender at Right Proper, is currently crowd-funding for her brewery and told WTOP that she is looking to close on a space in northeast D.C. “So we’re just reaching out to our community like, ‘Hey, you’ve seen what we can do, you see the passion behind this, the people behind this.’ Now we’re just asking for the help to get us to that next point so we can make this dream come true,” she said.
On her website, Collier touts that her beers “are inspired by the ancient practices of Egyptian women, who, according to history, believed that beer had powerful healing properties.”
Her unique flavors include — Chamolite, a blend of honey and chamomile, and Solar Return, which she says is inspired by the Caribbean drink Sorrel.
“I think a lot of people aren’t aware of how beer even started,” Collier told WTOP. “Beer started with women. We were the first brewers. And I think beer has come a long, long way from its roots, and it’s left a lot of people out. So I think it’s just important because there’s a whole world in craft beer, and I think it’s important that people are welcomed into the community to find their own passions.”
Collier currently has a crowd-funding page set up with a 20,000 goal to help secure the legal requirements to open up her dream space.