Black History Served With Each Beer At This NJ Distillery

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair is now home to one of New Jersey’s “master distillers.” And the latest victory for the town’s first microbrewery is another example of how the area is thirsty to learn about other cultures – literally.

Leopold (Leo) Sawadogo, co-owner and head brewer at the Montclair Brewery on Walnut Street, earned the coveted title when he competed against two other world-class liquor makers on an episode of “Moonshiners: Master Distillers.”

In addition to bragging rights, Sawadogo will get the opportunity to have his winning “Bao Brandy” recipe created as a limited run through Sugarlands Distilling Co.

The show, which filmed in Tennessee last fall, was aired for the first time in January on the DiscoveryPlus channel. It can be replayed on the DiscoveryPlus website and other streaming services such as Amazon Prime and Hulu.

It marked the second time that Sawadogo has appeared on the show. His first appearance took place during the show’s second season, which aired in February 2020.

Ultimately, Sawadogo’s jar of peach brandy didn’t muster up against the jars of the two other competitors, and he was sent home early. But the judges saw something special in him, and promised they would have him back for a redemption episode.

Sawadogo didn’t disappoint.

For the redemption episode, each contestant was able to bring their own ingredients and distill their own recipe. Sawadogo, who is originally from Burkina Faso, West Africa, brought powder from the West African baobab fruit to make his special winning recipe of his Bao Brandy.

“It’s my favorite ingredient to work with, and allows me to introduce my culture to the rest of the world,” Sawadogo eagerly enthused.

Broadening the area’s appreciation for foreign cultures through their tastebuds has been a big part of Sawadogo’s life since he opened the Montclair Brewery in 2018 with his wife, Denise Ford Sawadogo, who serves as co-founder and manages its business operations. Read More: Married Couple Open Montclair's First Microbrewery

Their motto? “Building community … one beer at a time.”

A frequent host to live music and community events, the Montclair Brewery has carved out a unique niche with its annual tradition of creating specialty beers for Black History Month. Their creations pay tribute to notable Black historical figures and utilize ingredients native to Sawadogo’s native country.

This year’s series includes the “Aubrey Ale,” brewed to honor Montclair’s local icon, Aubrey Lewis Sr., and the “ThomSank Independence Ale,” in honor of Thomas Sankara, Burkina Faso’s former president and leader.

Sawadogo offered some details about each beer:

AUBREY ALE - The Aubrey Ale is inspired by Montclair, New Jersey’s local icon, Aubrey Lewis Sr. This local legend lived in Montclair his entire life, starting his impressive athletic career at Montclair High School in 1950, which then continued into college where he was the first African American to be a sports captain at Notre Dame University. After his athletic career, Lewis, Senior, remained a trailblazer being a member of the first integrated FBI class, Vice President at Woolworths Corp, co-founder of Black Retail Action Group (BRAG), and a member of many other boards. This Brown Ale is both sweet and nutty with notes of caramel, honey, and toasted bread.

THOMSANK INDEPENDENCE ALE - The ThomSank Independence Ale was created in honor of Thomas Sankara, a charismatic leader whose mission was to transform Burkina Faso into a self-sufficient, independent country. Sankara, also known as Che Guevara of Africa, rebuilt the economy, the policies, and created many opportunities for his country. This experimental ale incorporates red sorghum, an ingredient traditionally used in African beers, and baobab, a West African fruit with many health benefits. The ThomSank Independence Ale is expected to be rosé colored and full-bodied with a crisp finish.

The brewery will also have a can release of the “Black Mamba Black Lager,” in honor of basketball legend, Kobe Bryant. According to the brewery:

“Black Mamba Black Lager was first released last year on Aug. 24, International Kobe Bryant Day, on draught only. This brew was created in honor of basketball star, Kobe Bryant, who was nicknamed ‘Black Mamba’ during his career. Black Mamba Black Lager has the appearance of a stout or porter with the light drinkability of a lager. This year, Montclair Brewery is giving it its own special can design that will be available in late February or early March in the taproom and through partnered bottle shops and restaurants.”

Previous year’s libations have included tributes to Harriet Tubman, Larry Doby, Gil Noble, Chadwick Boseman and George Washington Carver.

Since it opened, the brewery has also been supporting social justice efforts in other ways, including donating proceeds from the "Black is Beautiful" beer, a collaboration spearheaded by Weathered Souls Brewing to help bring awareness to and raise funds to help protect those impacted by racial injustices. A portion of the proceeds were donated to two local organizations, DIFFvelopment and IMANI.

“It is so important for us to use our brewery as a platform to educate others about Black History and we love to incorporate ingredients from our Caribbean and African cultures into our brews,” Ford Sawadogo told Patch in 2021.

“Although the past year has been extremely challenging due to parts of our business being negatively affected by COVID-19 restrictions, we strongly believe in this mission to help level the playing field for people of color and to help African Americans who are disproportionately abused by a broken and biased justice system,” she added.

• See related article: Montclair Brewery Infuses Local Beer Scene With Diversity

UPCOMING EVENTS

In addition to its latest Black History Month beer series, the Montclair Brewery will highlight several Black artists and their music every Friday in February.

Events include:

• Feb. 4 - Faso Band: “Musicians from Burkina Faso playing all kinds of music from Roots, Reggae, and African music styles. Faso Band is bringing its African touch to modern music.”
• Feb. 11 - Gabi the Artist: “This musician weaves together various musical strands into a new, fresh take on pop music, but pop which is both ripe for mainstream mass consumption whilst retaining an edgy underground vibe... the perfect balance between cult and commerciality.”
• Feb. 18 - Jarret Walser Pack: “A musician that brings vibrant sensitivity and rich nuances to an expressive style on the drums that is refreshing. His ease and versatility in several genres (jazz, rock, R&B, the blues, funk) have made him a highly sought-after drummer.”
• Feb. 25 - P&H Duo: “An explosive Caribbean experience guaranteed to have you dancing.”

There will also be a “Feel Good Sip and Shop” on Saturday, Feb. 19 from noon to 4 p.m., which will feature Black-owned businesses/vendors along with co-organizer, DJ Dan.ce.

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