D.C.'s first Black woman-owned brewery opens in Shaw
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Urban Garden Brewing officially opens next to the Howard Theatre in Shaw on Juneteenth. Photo: Courtesy bholderimages
D.C.'s only Black woman-owned brewery officially opens in Shaw on Juneteenth.
Why it matters: Urban Garden Brewhouse is more than a new pub — it's a milestone for the city's craft beer scene and a full-circle moment for founder Eamoni Collier, a D.C. native who spent eight years working at Right Proper Brewing in the very space she now runs.
The big picture: Collier launched Urban Garden Brewing after years in the beer industry and seeing a lack of representation.
- "Black breweries make up 2% of the entire nation," Collier tells Axios. When she started home brewing, there was no Black-owned brewery in D.C., let alone one owned by a Black woman. "All of those things combined made me say, 'Hey, I want to enter this market and represent.'"
Zoom in: Collier's unique brewing approach takes inspiration from ancient Egyptian recipes, using holistic herbs, spices and botanicals in new releases like a toasted coriander-orange peel wheat beer, or a lemongrass pilsner.
- The pub grub? That's all D.C. Think whole wings — mumbo, of course — and ribeye steak n' cheese.
The intrigue: The bar will double as a community space. Collier is planning everything from daytime youth workshops to flower arranging, and a small marketplace for D.C. products.
- "We want you to come. We want you to experience the community," she said. "We just so happen to have food and really great beers."
If you go: Urban Garden Brewhouse. 624 T Street NW. Grand opening party is Friday, June 19, with a festive brunch bash the day after.