The Bronx Brewery and Beer Kulture announce new diversity craft beer internship (apply here!)

The Bronx Brewery (a South Bronx craft staple since 2011) and Beer Kulture (one of the country’s foremost voices in promoting diversity and equity in craft beer) recently announced a new paid internship program dedicated to changing the makeup and culture of craft beer. Apply here!

Kicked off by the release of a new collaboration beer, a rice IPA called YERRRR, The Bronx Brewery & Beer Kulture Production Internship will work to create career-changing opportunities for Black, African-American, Hispanic, Latinx, Native North American, Pacific Islander and other BIPOC and under-represented communities in craft beer. Each intern will receive two months of training with The Bronx Brewery production team, providing a foundation of scientific and practical knowledge needed to launch a career in the industry.

The curriculum, developed by The Bronx Brewery’s lead brewer, will cover all aspects of the production process. Meanwhile, the two-month window will allow the intern to immerse themselves in a comprehensive rotational program, including brewhouse operations, cellar management, packaging, warehouse management and creative concept and recipe development — including writing a recipe for the brewery’s Up and Comers limited-release series.

A portion of proceeds from the collaborative beer, called YERRRR, will go toward supporting the program’s inaugural intern. Featuring the Uptown rallying cry and a label that shows superheroes assembling, the limited release calls for unity around creating spaces that are welcoming for all people — an effort central to both brands’ missions. Inside the can, the clean, easy-drinking IPA uses rice in the brew to create a light body that showcases huge citrus notes and a hint of black pepper from the hops.

“This internship will provide opportunity and bring new people into the industry,” explained Latiesha Cook, President and CEO, Beer Kulture. “We’re so happy to partner with The Bronx Brewery to offer this internship. It’s the next step in Beer Kulture’s work to address the barriers that often prevent Black, African-American, Hispanic, Latinx, Native North American, Pacific Islander and other BIPOC from working in craft beer. Our efforts started with education, and now, together with The Bronx Brewery, we’re stepping up to address the opportunity gap.”

“This is such an important and exciting partnership,” said Bronx Brewery President and Cofounder Damian Brown. “Working with Beer Kulture and BronxConnect to help provide a start in the industry we love to individuals who might otherwise not have the opportunity will be one of the most rewarding and important projects we’ve ever undertaken here — and personally, something that I couldn’t be more energized by. Beer is so unique in its ability to bring people together and nothing speaks to that more than this collaboration.”

In partnership with BronxConnect, the pool of interns will also include recently incarcerated individuals from The Bronx and Harlem.

“BronxConnect is thrilled to partner with The Bronx Brewery and Beer Kulture to provide unique employment training experiences for incarceration survivors. Formerly incarcerated people face significant barriers when they leave jail or prison. This internship is an opportunity to open doors and uplift individuals and families who could benefit from exposure to new and exciting career paths in craft beer. This internship program will serve as a powerful model for other employers both within the beer industry and beyond,” said the Executive Director of BronxConnect, Rev. Wendy Calderón-Payne.

Once completed, The Bronx Brewery and Beer Kulture will work with the candidate to place them at their next opportunity. In just a few months, Beer Kulture’s job board — which connects breweries to a more diverse and inclusive pool of potential “Kandidates” — has already placed several BIPOC at jobs in the industry. Prospective interns can apply at
https://thebronxbrewery.com/beer-kulture-bronx-brewery-production-internship/.

Why this matters

• While expanding rapidly as an industry, craft beer continues to lag dramatically behind the restaurant business — and even further behind the general population — in its diversity.
• Breweries skew disproportionately white and male, with 88 percent of self-reporting breweries owned by white males according to a self-reported Brewers Association 2019 study.
• Further, that same study reported white males represent 76.2 percent of production staff and 89 percent of brewers.
• In addition to under-representation for Hispanic/Latinx (2 percent of owners, 7.5 percent of staff) and Black communities (1 percent of owners, 4 percent of staff) compared to national demographic breakdowns (18 percent Hispanic/Latinx, 13.4 percent Black), women as a whole compose just 7.5 percent of brewers.

How the internship will help

• This partnership combines two teams with proven track records in (1) promoting a more diverse industry and (2) creating careers in the field, making it uniquely suited to create much-needed opportunities.
• Beer Kulture, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit, has become one of the foremost voices in creating diversity and equity in craft beer. Beer Kulture has created scholarship programs to give up-and-comers a professional edge and a job board that directly connects breweries looking to hire with a more diverse and inclusive pool of potential “Kandidates”. Since launching, Beer Kulture has already placed several BIPOC at jobs and has awarded a dozen scholarships to higher education in craft beer.
• The Bronx Brewery internship program is one of the most successful in New York City, giving dozens of people a foot in the door in the brewing industry over the past five years, and helping to place dozens at breweries around the country.
• The brewery’s lead brewer, Manny Salvatori, began his brewing career as an intern here at The Bronx Brewery, and will personally oversee the program. Interns will also have the opportunity to learn from the Brewery’s staff, ranging from co-founder and president Damian Brown to Sales & Marketing, Logistics, Taproom & Finance teams.
• Program details: six two-month long internships at The Bronx Brewery, encompassing all technical and practical aspects of production, study materials, safety equipment, etc.
• Ongoing career networking opportunities and placement assistance.