The first Black brewery opens in Philadelphia

The efforts of two brothers resulted in the creation of the first Black-owned brewery in Philadelphia.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer.Richard Koilor, 33, and Mengistu Koilor, 43, opened Two Locals Brewing Co on January 26. at uCity Square at thirty seventh and Market Streets.

The Brewers Association reports that Black people own 0.4% of the 9,500 breweries in the United States, and the Koilor brothers are currently a part of that number.

“The more we saw that there was a lack of Black breweries and Black breweries,” Mengistu Koilor said, “that’s what pushed us to want to open this space.”

Mengistu continues to be involved in financial services data management, and Richard Koilor, who was in accounting at a tech company, now works full-time at Two Locals.

Less than 4 years ago, the Koilors teamed up with Harris Family Brewery and Double Eagle Malting on a beer called Black Is Beautiful, raising nearly $9,000 for the Black Lives Matter Foundation and making it available to area beer lovers.

In late 2020, they met Avram Hornik, owner of Craft Hall in the Northern Liberties neighborhood, where Mainstay Independent Brewing is positioned. The Koilors worked with brewer Brian O’Brien to determine the brand and brew with Mainstay, creating Nubian, a 5.7% ABV brown ale, and Prolific, a 6.4% ABV hazy IPA.

According to the Inquirer, the most important challenge for the Koilors is financing.

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“It’s hard for everyone to raise capital,” Mengistu Koilor said. “We already know that there’s a huge wealth gap for people of color in this country. If you mix this with trying to start out a business, the percentages are stacked against you. It took lots of work, lots of trust and self-belief, and a number of people helping us here and there.

Their 15-barrel brewery in the brand new location will eventually produce 12 varieties of beer to produce the expansive bar where Liberty Kitchen dishes are served.

PJ Hopkins, co-owner of Liberty Kitchen, saw Two Locals listed in the St. Alumni newsletter. Joseph’s Prep, the college from which he and Richard Koilor graduated.

Liberty Kitchen introduced salads, boards and tomato pie to its menu, in addition to its famous hoagies. The owners’ mother, Jurdina Koilor, collaborated with chef Nick Messina and executive chef Beau Neidhardt on meals that included braised eggplant with peanuts and a bowl of Liberian beans with smoked turkey and chicken legs, red beans and Scotch bonnet peppers.

“We want to be able to show more Black people how to brew beer and how to get into this industry,” Richard Koilor told the Inquirer. “We want to talk about our culture and tell our story through our beers.”

Two Locals Brewing Co. is open from noon to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and from noon to midnight, Friday and Saturday.