Vine Street Brewing Co. is Paving the Way for Aspiring Black Brewers

August is National Black Business Month, which recognizes and celebrates Black-owned businesses and their contributions to the community and the economy.

Vine Street Brewing Co. started as a dream. Founded by Kemet Coleman and Woodie Bonds Jr., and located in a central location –  a point of pride for the city –  Vine Street Brewing Co. offers live music, a diverse lineup of craft beers and an unforgettable dining experience that exemplifies music, history and the untold stories of Kansas City. Not only is Vine Street Brewing Co. the first Black-owned brewery in Missouri, but in the entire Central Midwest.

Kemet Coleman, co-founder and director of marketing and experiences, worked as a tour guide at Boulevard Brewing Co. in 2013 and grew an immediate love for craft beer. His partner, Woodie Bonds Jr., co-founder and co-head brewer, established the Hip Hop Hooray Brew Festival, Kansas City's first hip-hop beer festival, where he met Elliott Ivory, co-founder and co-head brewer. From there, the three have worked together to build Vine Street Brewing Co. from the ground up.

“We want people to walk in and feel like an extension of our home and we have been very intentional about inclusivity,” Coleman said.

Vine Street gives back to the community through various initiatives, including the Thanks a Million, Buck gala. Vine Street partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and formed the Buck O’Neil Barrel-Aged Saison. The museum received the proceeds from the purchased beer samples.

They also plan to participate in the Black is Beautiful initiative by Weathered Souls, an annual event that brings together Black brewers from all over the country. The event will have the Black is Beautiful stout and each participating brewery will commit $1 per beer sold to the work of the National Black Brewer's Association.

Although the brewery's success is making headlines, the journey was not an easy road traveled. Like many business owners, there were hoops that Coleman, Ivory and Bonds had to jump through to warrant success. The biggest obstacle was the construction process. Many are unaware that Vine Street Brewing Co. was supposed to open a year ago.

“We invested in a 150-year-old building that was abandoned and had to have special maintenance due to supply chain issues. Our development partner helped navigate setbacks,” Coleman said.

“We remained patient, but in the meantime, we went out and started collaborating with over 30 different breweries and learned how they brew, handle customers and operations. That gave us the time to understand and leverage each other.”

There was also a lot of initial hesitation and resistance, but local breweries have had open arms.

“There is a big deficit of diversity and many see it as a way for their breweries to pioneer more towards inclusivity,” Coleman said.

During these trials, the team stuck together. And though they were under a microscope for being the first Black brewery, they received abundant support.

Vine Street Brewing Co. is dedicated to the community and education is one of its brand pillars. They are presently working to establish educational outreach through a tour program that highlights the history of the neighborhood and beer, how to properly taste and drink beer and the different beer styles. They will also utilize culinary experiences with Shanita McAfee-Bryant, professional chef and founder of The Prospect, a nonprofit culinary training program with whom they share their space.

For those interested in craft beers or looking to start a brewery, Coleman advises you to educate yourself, but networking is the key.

“Find a niche and crush it. People miss out on opportunities, but there are so many deficits in Kansas City that people can leverage,” Coleman said.

Aspiring brewers can collaborate with other breweries with extra capacity in their schedules through contract brewing, a process of sharing your beer recipe with a brewing company. Then they brew, package and give the beer back to you for you to sell.

The founders of Vine Street Brewing Co. hope to be an inspiration, especially to people of color, and continue to advocate for the community.

“We are an extension of the past and hope to modernize a reflection of what is possible,” Coleman said.