World of Beer Craft: Canadian brewery helping KickStart first (woman-owned) brewery in Rwanda

Beau’s All Natural is probably the coolest thing about Canada, right after universal health care and those hilarious Mountie outfits. They are employee-owned and do cool things like collaborate with hip hop artists and share recipes in their cases. And just when you thought they couldn’t get cooler, they do something like this: They are helping to fund and launch the first craft brewery in Rwanda.

The story from Metro News:

Rwandan entrepreneur and experienced restaurant owner Josephine “Fina” Uwineza is the woman behind the project. Funding help and training will come from the Vankleek Hill-based Beau’s team, who have reached out to corporate partners and started a Kickstarter campaign.

When it opens, the brewpub will offer tastings and local beer to take home. The brews will be made with as many local ingredients as possible from nearby co-ops that provide employment for women.

“In this industry, breweries are usually only owned by a male, so it’ll be the first craft brewery and also the first one owned by a woman,” said Uwineza. “My vision is to impact ladies and help them understand the industry, give them skills and empower them to grow their own materials.”

Here is the KickStarter for those interested. Although it’s a story across an ocean, to hear Uwineza tell is, this is a tale like hundreds of other craft beer business stories in the United States, in which local beer is being used as a hub to lead a civic revitalization.

“The country is coming back to life, if I may say, after the war,” said Uwineza. “Our neighbour Kenya has two craft beers, so people have an understanding of it. By the time we open in Rwanda, people will know it’s a fresh beer.”

Head to the Metro News for the full story on how Beau’s got involved, including its trip to Rwanda to understand the feasibility of the project. And if you don’t click to read, just know that “no money from the brewery will flow back to Beau’s or corporate partners. Instead Beauchesne sees it as a legacy project, continuing their tradition of helping local craft breweries on a global scale.” Because, as we said, Beau’s is cool like that.