Annual Barrel & Flow festival celebrates Black beer and spirits

At this year’s Barrel & Flow festival, more than 3,000 people flooded The Stacks at 3 Crossings in the Strip District, tasting beer, trying new restaurants and learning about the contributions of Black people to the beer and spirits industry.

There were more than 150 vendors, including Black brewers, Black artists and Black performers. Day Bracey, founder of Barrel & Flow, said they’re already planning for next year.

“I am very appreciative of the team and the community that I am surrounded by,” Bracey said.

The enticing smell of bacon lingered throughout the festival, courtesy of the “Bacon on a Stick” vendor, whose line seemed endless. There was something for everyone, from traditional pale ales, ciders, stouts and lagers to sangria and ginger beer.

The ginger beer was courtesy of filmmaker and producer Emmai Alaquiva, who partnered with Goodlander Cocktail Brewery for a strawberry peach ginger beer.

“What’s really important is the fact that creatives are allowed to step outside of their box … it’s all quintessential to the arts, even down to the color of the beverage,” said Alaquiva.

Erika Turner, co-owner and head beverage chef at TLC Libations distillery, said being at the festival was important for “representing the Black alcohol industry here in Pittsburgh.” She added, “The fact that I am one of two in the city of Pittsburgh, one of three in Pennsylvania, and the only Black woman-owned distillery means we needed to be here. Although the barriers of entry are high, it is possible.”

Unique blends included beers with a milkshake element and offerings from Brickterranean Beer Hut LLC, based in Georgia, which boasts a high ABV full of flavor. The flavors at the festival on Saturday included a Pumpkin & Apple Cider Upside-Down Cake Cyser Braggot and a Gin Barrel-Aged Braggot.

“The braggot is a combination of malt and honey … it’s a hybrid type of beer. I introduce people to different honey and fruits,” said Wendell Bowden, head brewer and founder of Brickterranean Beer Hut. Despite the high ABV, Bowden emphasized that the beer is still approachable.

“We have three times the ABV value, even four sometimes. It drinks real easy and has a lot of characteristics,” said Sean Thomas of Brickterranean Beer Hut.

When it comes to beer, Thomas is a tough critic — he’s also known as the Black Beer Hunter. He looks for experience and taste, and his introduction to craft brews came during his time in the Navy on a visit to Copenhagen. He said making good beer takes patience, noting that the beers they had at the festival have aged from six months to a year. The line to taste their beer was long and wrapped around tables.

Shannon Gatewood, who enjoyed the layers of flavor from the pumpkin, apple, and spice, attended with her friend Cristine Davis. Davis said it has been part of their social calendar for the past three years.

“For Pittsburgh to do something this large that is Black-centered in a space that you don’t typically expect to see Black people being successful and excellent, it’s exciting,” she said.

“I’m rooting for everybody Black, and there are so many industries where Black people have not had the chance to permeate the way others have,” said Jafaari Czar, who referenced the origin of Jack Daniel’s whiskey, which can be credited to an enslaved man, Nathan “Nearest” Green, an expert distiller who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey.

Mengistu Koilor, co-founder of Two Locals Brewing Company along with his brother Richard of West Philadelphia, drove five hours to be at the festival on Saturday.

“It’s a dope festival. It is bringing the culture and allowing everyone to enjoy what we have to offer to the beer scene and the community of it all,” Koilor said.

Koilor said his brother, who is the brewmaster, seeks to understand every aspect of beer-making. They also have names that pay homage to the culture — the brown ale is called Nubian, and the Belgian wheat beer is called “Who You Wit,” with a label featuring Philadelphia sports legends. Koilor was born in Liberia and also has a heritage connected to Jamaica.

“We put that in what we do and our branding. We add flavor,” he said. They are the first Black-owned brewery in Philadelphia.

Ariel Dean, founder of Yasuke (Ya-skay), is from Brockton, Mass., the first Black-majority city in Massachusetts, with a large Cape Verdean population.

Yasuke has an award-winning Black Kölsch, named after the first Black samurai. Next week, they will launch a Cape Verdean beer with Cape Verdean brewers.

“When I come to events like this, it is so diverse. Everyone here has been very welcoming, and it is just a testament to what we can do. I’m just glad to be part of this,” Dean said.