Anthony “Sizzle” Perry Plants The Seeds For Central Ohio’s First Black Owned Brewery
I’m a gangly white dude from Pittsburgh, PA. I get sunburnt in February. My sister and I, we grew up poor but privileged. I never had to worry about cops gunning me down in the street because of the color of my skin. But my love for craft beer breweries is something that I have in common with CEO and Founder of Central Ohio’s first Black owned brewery; Anthony “Sizzle” Perry. And in an industry where Blacks represent less than 1% of brewers, he’s aiming to change the narrative.
“Be[er] the Change” is the motto. Crafted Culture Brewing is the name. From the military, to bar manager, to craft beer sales rep, to blogger (check out Sippin Wit Sizzle) and now to CEO/Founder, Sizzle is bringing inclusivity back to craft beer.
Located outside of Columbus in the suburb of Gahanna, Crafted Culture aims to promote “equity and inclusion throughout the craft beer industry.” According to their website, Crafted Culture’s mission is to Engage, Educate/Encourage, and Expand. That means connecting to people other than just Caucasian, bearded, IPA drinkers such as myself. It means trying to reach POC, Women, and the LGBTQ community in addition to someone who might prefer a non-alcoholic craft beverage. They want to teach these communities that high-quality beer exists in their own neighborhoods, and to reinforce that it can be made by someone who looks like them. And it means learning and growing within the industry.
This isn’t just about the brewery. Whether it’s featuring a cider on their menu, hyping up wineries, bringing in food trucks, working with coffee shops, bars, and other breweries Sizzle is always trying to promote diversity and help local businesses.
The fact that it took 40 years for a Black owned brewery to open in the region is bad enough. Sizzle says that even during his time as a craft beer salesman there were as little as 3 Black people selling beer in his area. This is the first step toward creating a more diverse industry. Sizzle is breaking down barriers and I have to applaud him for that. It’s 2021 and nothing has really changed in terms of social injustice. I don’t have all the answers, but supporting Black owned businesses is a good place to start.
Take one look at Crafted Culture’s menu and you’ll see right away how they’re brewing up diversity and inclusivity. “Black On Both Sides” is their double imperial porter weighing in at an ass-kicking 9.9% ABV. Not your style? How about their grapefruit pilsner “Return of the Hot Girl Summer.” Looking for something a bit heavier? Why not try the amber ale “Yo Sister Is Cute.”
Can I just say…it is refreshing as fuck to see a beer list that isn’t IPA, after IPA, after DDH IPA.
I’d like to raise a glass to Sizzle, Crafted Culture Brewing, and their mission. He’s changing the game and we need more people like him. There’s so much wrong with our country, and again I don’t have the answers. But having grown up in Western, PA with a socioeconomic climate very similar to Ohio, this type of progress is long overdue. This is an amazing story and one that needs to be celebrated. Cheers!
