Rocket Frog
A new beer supporting Black Lives Matter is coming to Alexandria through a partnership of local business owners.
The release party for Black is Beautiful beer will be Aug. 28 and was made by Rocket Frog Brewery with vanilla form Goodie’s Frozen Custard & Treats and coffee from Swings Coffee Roasters. The beer will be released at The Loop coworking space at 215 N. Payne St. in Old Town.
Aug. 28 is the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech.
Texas-based Weathered Soul Brewery provided a base recipe for Black is Beautiful beer, but each brewery producing it had the opportunity to customize it, partner with local businesses and choose a nonprofit organization that focused on social justice to benefit.
Here in the Alexandria area, Brandon Byrd, owner of Goodie’s Frozen Custard & Treats, partnered with his friend David Hartogs, owner of Rocket Frog Brewery to produce the local version, bringing in Swings for the coffee.
Byrd and Hartogs had been talking about partnering somehow for years, but the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police earlier this year “amplified the social injustice people of color face daily. We wanted to use our collective platforms. This has truly been a collective idea,” Byrd said.
Byrd hand delivered a proprietary vanilla blend to Rocket Frog earlier this week. Soon, people will be able to purchase the beer directly from the brewery or through other Rocket Frog distribution channels.
All proceeds from the release event at The Loop will support Black Lives Matter. A limited number of tickets are available to allow for safety and social distancing. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.
