Ybor's Zydeco Brew Werks In Running For Nation's 10 Best BrewPubs - Tampa, FL - Fans of Zydeco Brew Werks have until July 24 to vote for the brewery, which is currently in fourth place out of 20 nominees in the U.S.
Nashville-based craft brewery Tennessee Brew Works and Chicago-based Turner Häus Brewery have partnered to celebrate Women’s History Month and the craft brewing community with the release of their collaboration beer, Gazelle Hazy IPA.
Brian Rich/Sun-Times
Turner Haus Brewery co-owners Steven Turner, Blair Turner-Aikens and Nathaniel Aikens have officially put down roots in Bronzeville.
They will be opening Turner Haus Chicago in collaboration with local coffee shop chain Sip & Savor’s space (78 E. 47th St.) in the historic Rosenwald Court Apartments on the 4600 block of South Michigan Avenue by the end of the summer.
The collaboration makes Turner Haus Chicago’s first Black-owned brewery since Vice District Brewery shut down in 2019.
“We’re working on the specs now,” said Turner on Friday. He says the brewery’s beers, named after family matriarchs “Helen,” “Lola” and “Marlene,” among others, will be served on-tap. “Honestly, for the most part, it’s going to look exactly the same as it already does as far as the build out is concerned; the only difference is we’re just going to take over an area of [Sip & Savor’s] storage area.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Co-founders Steven Turner, Blair Turner-Aikens and Nathaniel Aikens aim to make their Turner Haus Brewery Chicago’s first Black-owned brewery since Vice District Brewery shut down in 2019.
Now that Turner Haus is beginning to make a name for itself via beer tasting events, the trio aim to correct a systemic issue within the craft beer industry: the lack of diversity.
“If you’re like me and you love good craft beer, and you start noticing every time you go to a taproom, you’re the only Black face in the room, and it’s like: ‘Well, that’s kind of weird,’ ” said Turner. “It takes a level of experience and expertise, study and mentorship that you would need to get and gain from folks that have been involved in the industry over an extended period of time, but not only that, it also takes capital.”