SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio’s Weathered Souls Brewing Company was recently named the best brewery in the United States in 2020 by the online magazine Hop Culture.
The magazine covers the best beer, bars, breweries, gifts, and supplies in the U.S. and around the world.
Hop Culture looked at more than 8,000 potential candidates and choose to highlight 12 with Weathered Souls earning top honors.
Weathered Souls, located in the 600 block of Embassy Oaks on the North Side, received high marks for its craft brews, recipes and use of fruits to flavor some of its craft beers.
But what set it apart was last year’s Black is Beautiful campaign to raise awareness about the injustices faced by people of color.
The idea came about after this summer’s protest against police brutality in the wake of the George Floyd murder.
The campaign also focused on issues of equity, inclusion and justice for people of all backgrounds.
Co-founder and head brewer Marcus Baskerville started the initiative and shared the base recipe for his Black is Beautiful stout beer with other breweries across the country and around the world.
All 50 states and nearly two dozen countries participated in the campaign with proceeds going to organizations that support social justice reform and racial equality.
Hop Culture writer Kenny Gould wrote that Weathered Souls’ resiliency, courage and leadership were all key factors in naming the brewery the best of 2020.
“And yet, resilience and tasty, well-crafted beers are only a part of the puzzle, and definitely not the most important part. In an election year, with the national and even global conversation focused on issues of equity, inclusion, and justice, Weathered Souls truly marked themselves as a brewery for EVERYONE by spearheading Black is Beautiful, a collaborative effort to raise awareness around the injustices faced by people of color. The initiative kickstarted a much-needed conversation within the craft beer industry and allowed a black-owned brewery to take a well-deserved spotlight.”
KSAT has featured Baskerville and fellow co-owner and co-founder Mike Holt in previous stories where Baskerville discussed the campaign and the brewery’s unique blend of history and flavors.
READ MORE: