Two Roads Brewing Co. and Rhythm Brewing Co. Join Forces for Black Is Beautiful Collaboration

Two Roads Brewing Co. in Stratford, Connecticut has announced a collaboration with Rhythm Brewing Co. along with over 1,000 breweries across 19 countries "to bring global awareness to the injustices many of people of color face by taking part in the growing Black Is Beautiful beer campaign." Full details are below.

STRATFORD, CT – Two Roads Brewing Co. and Rhythm Brewing Co. are standing with over 1,000 breweries across 19 countries in an attempt to bring global awareness to the injustices many of people of color face by taking part in the growing Black Is Beautiful beer campaign.

Black Is Beautiful is a world-wide collaboration that was originated by Marcus Baskerville, founder and head brewer at Weathered Souls Brewing in San Antonio. On it’s website, Bakersville said, “Our mission is to bridge the gap that's been around for ages and provide a platform to show that the brewing community is an inclusive place for everyone of any color.”

Alisa Bowens-Mercado, owner and brewer at Rhythm Brewing Co. said of the collaboration, “The Black is Beautiful initiative is amazing on so many different levels. We get to raise a glass of awareness of social and racial Injustice and as a brewer, I get to brew next to people that I look up to in the industry.”

The collaboration between Two Roads and Rhythm Brewing came to fruition after Bowens-Mercado reached out to the Connecticut Craft Brewer’s Guild looking for resources on how to get involved. “They connected me with the wonderful folks at Two Roads and their team made the collaboration happen,” she added.

Two Roads Master Brewer Phil Markowski joined Alisa on the pilot brewery system from start to finish, stewarding the brew along. “It was delightful to spend the day brewing with Alisa. She is so energetic and fun. The coolest thing was that her mom and husband stopped by at different times during the brew. It was so enjoyable that at times I lost track of the underlying seriousness of our effort, to produce a beer that will help fund two very meaningful charities,” Markowski said.

The 8.9% ABV Black is Beautiful Imperial Stout will be released on July 31st in draft and 16 oz. 4-pack cans at noon at Two Roads’ Stratford, CT brewery. 100% of all proceeds will be split between a local charity of each brewery’s choice; Two Roads will be donating to the Stratford Education Foundation’s grant program to increase the school district’s Teaching Tolerance™ curriculum and Bowens-Mercado, a native of New Haven, picked The Boys and Girls Club of New Haven.

To celebrate the brewery-only collaboration release, Bowens-Mercado and Markowski will be on hand in the tasting room on July 31. Besides showcasing the Black is Beautiful collab, Two Roads will also pour Rhythm’s Blue Unfiltered Light Lager on draft. 100% of proceeds from each draft pour for both Black is Beautiful and Blue Unfiltered Light Lager will also go towards perspective charities.

Bowens-Mercado said, “The charities that we're chosen will have a huge impact on our youth moving forward. This experience will be one in my brewing career I will never forget.”

About Two Roads Brewing Company:

Two Roads opened its doors in December 2012 having earlier acquired and renovated a100-year-old vacant, brick factory building in Stratford, CT. Its name and philosophy are inspired by the Robert Frost Poem “The Road Not Taken”—a philosophy brought to life in the beers they create using the highest quality brewing and packaging equipment. Since opening, Two Roads has grown to be a top 50 independent craft brand in the United States out of 8,000+ breweries. Two Roads Brewing Tasting Room is open every day; for more information go to www.tworoadsbrewing.com.

About Rhythm Brewing Co.:

Newly launched in March 2018, Rhythm Brewing Co. is a New Haven, CT based brewery, founded by Alisa Bowens-Mercado. Realizing the lack of craft lagers on the market, Alisa decided to create her own. Her flagship beer, Rhythm, is a modern American-style lager with an ABV of 5.5%. Brewed with South African hops, Rhythm is unfiltered, flavorful, and has a slight bite that leaves you wanting more. Music, Dance, and Beer have played a significant role in Alisa’s life. Both of Alisa’s Grandmothers’ were beer drinkers, and on special occasions, they would sip, dance and converse about “Finding your Rhythm in Life”. For more information on Alisa and Rhythm Brewing Co. please visit https://rhythmbrewingco.com.