Fall is all about festivities. And no festivity is ever complete without an ice-cold beer or some chilled wine.
So, whether you’re looking to hold a masquerade party on the rooftop, a Friendsgiving party by the beach, or a self-appreciation soiree on your couch, it’s finally time to enjoy some of the best Black-woman-owned beer and wine brands around.
Black-Woman Owned Beer Brands
Not everyone is a beer drinker, but we all know a babe who appreciates a good lager or IPA. If you’re looking to bless them with a new beverage (one that they’ve probably never tried, this is your time to shine, sis.
Below are three Black-woman-owned beer brands giving the OG brands a run for their money.
Fun Fact: According to a 2019 survey, only 1% of Black people own beer companies in the U.S., and you can guess how many of those are women.
Harlem Renaissance Wit
Celeste Beatty is a pioneer in the beer brewing industry. She officially launched Harlem Brewing Co. in 2000, and since then, she’s established her three flagship beers, including 125 IPA, Harlem Renaissance Wit, and Sugar Hill Golden Ale.
If you can find it, Harlem Renaissance Wit is one of the best Witbeers in the market. It is lightly hopped with rich coriander, grains of paradise, cumin, orange peel, and natural orange flavors, making the perfect accompaniment to a classic brie and camembert cheese platter.
Queen Stout
Here’s another Celeste Beatty classic.
The Queen Stout beer is a chocolate coffee stout with cinnamon that was created to celebrate all the great women in our lives: sisters, mothers, grannies, aunts, BFFs…every-freakin’-body!
You can get it at your local stores for only $8 a pop.
Rhythm Brewing
Rhythm Brewing Co.’s CEO, Alisa Bowens-Mercado, is a one-woman workhouse. She launched Rhythm in 2018 to focus on creating unfiltered craft lagers, which were lacking in the market.
Her flagship beer, Rhythm, uses South African hops (has an ABV of 5.5%) and is just what you’re looking for in a crisp, smooth, & palette-pleasing beer.
Black-Woman Owned Wine Brands
If you love a good vino, one that helps you unwind after a day of madness, these 5 Black-woman-owned wine brands are about to change your life.
Fun Fact: According to the Association of African-American Vintners, there are over 12,000 wineries in the U.S., and less than 100 are Black-owned. That’s like 1/10th of one percent!!
Again, you can guess how many are woman-owned.
Love Cork Screw
It was during her experience as a Chicago gallery/event space owner that Chrishon Lampley discovered she could actually make a career out of wine-making.
After gaining praise for her expertise in the wine section, Chrishon turned her love into blogging and then her own wine brand Love Cork Screw, which has gained numerous awards and offers seven of the best wine varietals in the market.
Our favorite selection is their Pinot Grigio, a medium-bodied wine with a crisp and clean apple and pear character. Its robust flavor makes it the ideal companion to light seafood, cheeses, and meat platters or days when you need a soul-soothing pick-me-up.
McBride Sisters
Even though sisters Robin and Andrea grew up 7,000 miles apart), each individually developed a passion for wine and wine-making on their own.
When they finally re-connected (thanks to their aunt in 1999) and bonded over their love for wine, the two decided to create what has become one of the largest Black-owned wine brands in the United States: The McBride Sisters Collection.
The wine brand offers multiple wine varietals, including Black Girl Magic, SHE CAN, Sparkling, and Reserve. The company also includes mixed sets featuring several varieties of their blends that would make for the perfect Galantines gift set!
The Guilty Grape
Two bubbly twins, Nichelle and Nicole Nichols, launched the Dallas-based wine brand The Guilty Grape in 2020. They poured their souls into the business to achieve one mission: bring inclusivity, culture, and luxury into every bottle!
The wine brand, which has been a favorite among millennials, serves the “New American Wine Drinker and people of color who don’t really fit into the stereotypical category of wine consumers.
Our favorite bottle from their range of wines is the Cabernet Sauvignon, which is perfect after a long day or solo turnup session. As the twins say, if he has a nice body, is deep, makes you feel like the sexiest woman in the world, and leaves you longing for more – that not your boo, that the Cabernet Sauvignon!
Sun Goddess
Did you know Queen of R&B, Mary J. Blige, owns a whole wine brand?
Sun Goddess Wines, which she launched in 2020, sells wines made from the vineyards owned by the Fantinel family. They market numerous beverages, from Prosecco to Pinot Grigio Ramato to Sauvignon Blanc.
We especially love the Pinot Grigio Ramato (you can see a pattern here), which features a beautiful pinkish tinge. Its bouquet is intense and complex, with subtle hints of peach, melon, and blackberries.
ZAFA Wines
Founded in 2018 by Burlington, Vermont-based winemaker Krista Scruggs, ZAFA wines is a vintage wine brand that uses zero filtering, fining, additives, or pesticides in their naturally fermented wines and ciders.
You can read all about Krista’s wine-making process here. ZAFA offers numerous wine varietals, including #5 (a carbonated fruit wine), Visions Of Gideon “Carver,” Jungle Fever, Lust For Life, Poetic Justice, Mea Culpa, and Before Sunrise.
