Who wants to hit this Pittsburgh fest celebrating African American craft brewers?

What are you doing August 11? Do you live in the Cleveland area? Would you like to carpool to Pittsburgh? It’s only about 2 plus hours. We want to hit Fresh Fest ’18, which is Pittsburgh’s first African American craft beer festival, bringing 15 black-owned breweries from around the country to Threadbare Cider House and Meadery. The fest will also have some unique brewskis to sample and discuss, with 10 local brewers partnering with black artists, entrepreneurs and small business owners to brew collab beers. We’ll provide gas money and exceedingly interesting conversation.

Or, we don’t have to talk. We can just listen to the Drinking Partners podcast on the way. Comics Ed Bailey and Day Bracey, creators and hosts of Drinking Partners, are also behind Fresh Fest (along with Mike Potter, creator of Black Brew Culture, a site launching this fall that will celebrate African Americans in craft beer). Drinking Partners promotes and discusses craft beer and spirits while hosting conversations with entertainers, politicians and entrepreneurs (someone like Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto). Fresh Fest looks to bring that same fun, diverse vibe to the North Side neighborhood of Spring Garden.

From The Incline (Pittsburgh’s mobile news site):

All are welcome, of course, and Bracey said they’re hoping to draw a diverse crowd. Otherwise, he said, if he looks at the crowd on Aug. 11 and sees only white faces, “then we failed. We’d have to start over. Because this about inclusivity.

“There are very few black ownership groups in mass or craft beer around the country, and zero in Pittsburgh. But this is a billion-dollar industry so we feel it would help the black community to be involved. Part of that is access and education.”

The fest will include entertainment (hopefully comedy by Bailey and Brace), food trucks, tastings, panel discussions, meet-the-brewer sessions and educational forums. Ticket prices will range from $30 to $100, depending on the package. For more info, follow Drinking Partners on Twitter.