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Eater
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Detroit's First Black-Owned Brewery Wants to Make Drinking Stout a Year-Round Tradition
is a writer born with over two decades of experience in the restaurant industry, and she has been covering the local food and beverage scene for the past eight years. Detroit's first Black-owned brewery, Roar Brewing, opened its taproom at 666 Selden Street in early July with a weekend celebration that kicked off on Thursday, July 10. The three-day event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a set by Detroit's own DJ Invisible, live music performances, TVs broadcasting local sports, and a lively hustle line that energized the courtyard patio. And, of course, there were plenty of pints — most notably the MVP of the tap list, a black honey oat stout. That choice wasn't accidental; it speaks directly to the brewery's mission and identity. When discussing the lack of representation in Michigan's craft beer scene, especially in Detroit, owner Evan Fay attributes it to people's unfamiliarity with the product or fear of how they might be perceived as newcomers to the industry. 'Think of us as Detroit's Guinness' 'I don't think people don't drink craft beer. I think they just don't drink beer, yet,' Fay says. 'I didn't drink a ton of beer before going into the service, but once I started learning about its complexities and the people behind it, it changed my perspective. I started to imagine what my place in it could look like. I'm hoping to inspire others in that way, too.' Roar's black honey oat stout is the brewery's main beer, a rare choice since few breweries make a dark stout their flagship. 'We want to make everyone stout drinkers,' Fay says. 'It represents the brewery really well; dark, smooth, creamy, and there's a subtle sweetness from the honey. People think stouts are just for cold weather, but I want to enjoy them any time, all the time. Think of us as Detroit's Guinness.' Roar Brewing debuted with six beers. Courtney Burk 'Craft breweries are good at gathering the community together through their programming,' Fay says. 'When I was traveling a lot, breweries and cafes were where we went to grab a drink and get to know the city through there. Breweries and cafes are two businesses that I've started because of that aspect — building community to make everyone feel at home right away.' Fay's interest in beer started after college, while stationed in Cheyenne, Wyoming. 'My first experience with beer in college wasn't craft,' Fay says. 'But being stationed near Fort Collins, [Colorado], I'd visit New Belgium often and got immersed in the culture. Later in Alaska, spots like Midnight Sun Brewing had that same welcoming vibe. When we moved to Detroit, I knew I wanted to emulate that here.' Roar debuted with a lineup of six beers, which it calls its franchise players: a raspberry wheat, pilsner, IPA, amber, and that honey oat stout. The beers are brewed on a 10-barrel system by head brewer Dave Hale, formerly of Nain Rouge. Fay served as assistant brewer during the early stages, helping develop the lineup in collaboration, but stepped back as day-to-day operations began drawing his attention away from the brewing process. The brewery uses locally sourced ingredients, including malt from Great Lakes Malt and honey from Hives for Heroes, a Michigan-based, veteran-owned business. Roar's interior opens onto an extended patio through a roll-up garage door, linking it to the nearby restaurant corridor. The brewery plans to add an 800-square-foot, three-and-a-half-season room to the outdoor plaza to increase covered seating. Events include karaoke nights, hustle and line dancing, weekly drum circles, and sports watch parties, aiming to make the brewery both a gathering spot and a taproom. A small bites food menu is currently being developed in collaboration with the neighboring Barcade, an old-school video game arcade and beer bar, and the brewery collaborated with So Creamalicious on a popcorn flight that pairs with the taproom's franchise players beer flight. The brewery also offers a pay-it-forward program inspired by Midnight Sun Brewing, where guests can buy a beer for someone who has experienced a specific situation or moment written on a card, which is then hung on the wall. Instead of a traditional mug club, Roar offers a season pass model tied to Detroit's pro sports teams. The annual Roar Pride membership costs about $175, while season pass memberships range from approximately $100 to $150. The brewery also has plans to host three brewery tours a day with beertenders facilitating them. Fay's goal is for everyone that works at Roar to know as much about the beer and the brewing process as the brewers do. The aim is to make beer really accessible to everyone in a comfortable and inviting environment. Roar Brewing is located at 666 Selden Street in Detroit; open 4 p.m. to midnight Monday though Thursday, noon to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday — except during football season.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Roar Brewing Co., Detroit's First Black-Owned Brewery Opens
Evan Fay's Roar Brewing Co., believed to be Detroit's first Black-owned brewery, is opening on March 23 via a soft launch, with the company's grand opening set for summer 2025. Fay's brewery will launch with its flagship flavor Honey Oat Stout, and the company's name is a tribute to Detroit's automotive history. According to the Detroit Free Press, Fay said as much in a press release, noting that it is his desire that the brewery take on the spirit of Detroit's citizens themselves. 'Detroit is home to the Lions, the Tigers, the Pistons, and the Red Wings — teams that roar with pride. But the roar isn't just in sports. It's in the city's engines, its music, its industry, and its people. We wanted our brewery to be a tribute to that spirit,' Fay said. Fay, a United States Air Force veteran, also owns Detroit's Café Noir and Chloe Monroe Galleries as well as all of Nain Rouge Brewery's assets, which includes the building now housing Roar Brewing and all of its beer making equipment. Fay told the Detroit Free Press that his goal with his brewery company is to make craft beer accessible. 'We're not trying to be everything to everyone, but we want our beer to be accessible and easy to enjoy,' Fay said. Fay also told the outlet that like the craft breweries he visited in Fort Collins, Colorado and Wyoming, he wants the space to become a gathering space for the community. 'When I was in the military and stationed in Wyoming, I would visit breweries in Fort Collins, and I realized they weren't just places to grab a drink — they were community hubs,' Fay said. Fay also told the outlet that Roar Brewing had to look outside of Detroit, to the National Black Brewers Association, because there were no Black craft breweries in Detroit. 'There's a great ecosystem in Detroit to support small businesses, but in craft brewing, there aren't as many direct pathways,' Fay told the Free Press. 'Typically, you turn to people in your community who have done it before, but with no Black-owned breweries in the city, we had to look outside our immediate circles for guidance.' He continued, 'The challenge is that for a lot of Black entrepreneurs, luxury industries like craft beer haven't been a priority because people are often focused on essentials first. But we want to change that by making craft beer a space that is inviting, exciting, and approachable.' According to the National Black Brewers Association, less than one percent of craft breweries are owned by Black people, and before their formation, there existed no entity to help Black brewers and brewery owners with needs specific to them. In 2024, the group introduced the Brewing Equipment Donation Grant Program, an initiative connecting Black and Brown brewers with expensive equipment donated from breweries who no longer need it, an attempt to bridge one of the biggest barriers to thriving Black breweries: a lack of quality equipment. According to National Black Brewers Association Executive Director Kevin Asato, solving the equipment problem helps Black breweries generate capital they would otherwise have to invest in infrastructure. 'You need capital to purchase half a million to a million dollars worth of hardware and steel. The equipment becomes so significant.…It is the primary reason for capital, right?' Asato said in a press release announcing the program. RELATED CONTENT: Crown & Hops, Black-Owned Brewery, Lock Arms With Fellow Spirits Owners To Diversify The Industry
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Roar Brewing Co., Detroit's first Black-owned brewery, set to open Sunday
A new craft brewery, billed as Detroit's first Black-owned brewery, opens Sunday in the space formerly occupied by Nain Rouge Brewery. Roar Brewing Co., owned by Evan Fay, is hosting a soft opening Sunday at 666 Selden Street in Midtown, with a grand opening slated for summer. The new brewery will launch with its flagship Honey Oat Stout and is billed as a place for 'great beer and great company.' According to a news release, Roar Brewing's name is a take on Detroit being a city that 'roars' from its sports teams to music and more. "Detroit is home to the Lions, the Tigers, the Pistons, and the Red Wings — teams that roar with pride. But the roar isn't just in sports. It's in the city's engines, its music, its industry, and its people. We wanted our brewery to be a tribute to that spirit," Fay said in a news release. Fay is a U.S. Air Force veteran who also co-owns Detroit's Café Noir and its next-door neighbor Chole Monroe Galleries on John R. Reached by phone Friday, Fay told the Free Press he purchased all of Nain Rouge Brewery assets such as its beer equipment. According to its mission statement, Roar's name 'embodies the energy, strength, and spirit that define both our city and our craft.' Making craft beer approachable to everyone is Fay's goal. "We're not trying to be everything to everyone, but we want our beer to be accessible and easy to enjoy," Fay said. Aside from the brewery's Honey Oat Stout, other beers in the lineup include the Roar Pilsner, Roar Wheat Beer and Roar Saison. The brewery is set to be a community-driven social space where people can connect. Interactive brewery tours, entertainment and live music, and social events including karaoke and sports watch parties are on tap for the space. The overall property also includes an outdoor plaza and a three-and-a-half-season room in the works. Roar Brewing's community vibe is based on Fay's first experiences with the craft beer culture in Fort Collins, Colorado. "When I was in the military and stationed in Wyoming, I would visit breweries in Fort Collins, and I realized they weren't just places to grab a drink — they were community hubs," said Fay. Roar Brewing is where Fay expects people to gather to 'watch a game, have a conversation, or experience craft beer for the first time." According to Roar Brewing Company's news release, Black-owned breweries represent less than 1% of all U.S. breweries. Michigan's first fully Black-owned brewery, Black Calder Brewing Co., opened in 2020 in Grand Rapids. Roar Brewing Co. worked with the National Black Brewers Association for guidance. "There's a great ecosystem in Detroit to support small businesses, but in craft brewing, there aren't as many direct pathways," Fay said. "Typically, you turn to people in your community who have done it before, but with no Black-owned breweries in the city, we had to look outside our immediate circles for guidance." Fay believes the industry will become more diverse. 'The challenge is that for a lot of Black entrepreneurs, luxury industries like craft beer haven't been a priority because people are often focused on essentials first," he said. "But we want to change that by making craft beer a space that is inviting, exciting, and approachable." Roar Brewing's Sunday opening also coincides with the annual Marche du Nain Rouge parade in Midtown. Nain Rouge, which translates to 'red dwarf in French, is an urban legend in Detroit's history where sightings of the storied red demon dwarf preceded disasters. The parade is a celebration where revelers similar to Mardi Gras fashion don costumes, masks, and other adornments and chase and banish the nain rouge, or red dwarf, from the city. At the Sunday launch, Fay said the remaining Nain Rouge beer and merchandise will be sold. According to the Nain Rouge Brewery Facebook page, after the parade, pints will be $3 and merchandise will be 50% off from 12:30-7:30 p.m. For information, go to Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@ Follow @SusanMariecooks on X. Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Roar Brewing Co. to open in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood
