Community. Creativity. Inclusivity.
Words can seem so small at a time like this. But words can also guide. Words can unite. Words can inspire. And when they’re combined with sustained, forceful and focused action toward a common goal, they can change lives.
Over the past month, one thing’s become clear: this world needs to change.
We owe it to each other to do everything we can to make that happen. And if we’re going to dismantle the centuries-old systems of racism, violence and oppression in this country, we need to do it together.
In light of that urgent need, The Bronx Brewery will revolve around three pillars going forward: Community, Creativity and Inclusivity. We’ll use this creed to inform what we make, how we make it, how we design it, how we sell it, how we open our space(s) to share it with our customers, and why we even do any of it at all.
This is not an abstract exercise: words can be very powerful tools to motivate and guide what we as individuals, teams and companies think, say and do. The rubber though, has to hit the road.
And so, we will unite to collectively bring these values to life both internally as a team and externally as a neighbor, brand, product, and physical space. We have outlined starting points for each of these values below but these will continue to evolve as we better understand where and how we can have the biggest impact.
Community.
The Bronx isn’t just in our name. It flows through everything we do. As a company with ambitions of becoming an iconic NYC brand, we must continue to place our community, our neighborhood and our borough at our center for every step of this journey.
The Bronx is one of the most diverse and creative places in the world, and we’re proud to call it home. We must always recognize the responsibility we carry by having it in our name. Our values, our beers, our message, our events, our locations, our approach, our design, our team, our partners, our priorities – these all need to represent our community, and where it wants to go. Every day, we need to earn the right to use The Bronx in our name.
This borough has a long history of neglect and mistreatment. Current events — from recent acts of police brutality to the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 — have only added to that history of pain and abuse.
The ensuing protests have clearly shown that our community demands systemic changes to longstanding discriminatory and abusive institutions, practices and policies regarding race, gender, orientation and religion.
To that end, the peaceful protests and campaigns in support of Black Lives Matter, Anti-Racism, Defunding the Police, Ending Qualified Immunity and overhauling the functions and powers of police unions deserve our support and voice.
Going forward, to further these causes, we will be implementing the following practices:
- Partnering with, supporting and learning from organizations devoted to these issues. More to follow on this as we line up meetings with potential partners and identify how to best engage and support.
- Sponsoring two seats in the NAACP Bronx Branch.
- Driving voter registration, education and participation as a means of empowering change within our community — encouraging young voters in particular to make informed decisions for the benefit of their and future generations. This will take the form of tangible elements in our spaces as well as active work alongside organizations doing this work in our community.
- Brewing and releasing a Defund The Police beer as part of our Up and Comers series in July with a donation going to Communities United for Police Reform.
- Participating as a team in protests and other shows of collective support for these issues.
Creativity.
At its finest, beer is a semi-miraculous blend of art and science. Something that celebrates balance and innovation. It’s also best when shared.
So, while we will continue to celebrate our brewers’ creativity with every new release, we will also take these actions:
- We will increase the scope of our Up and Comers series, allowing us to further support, celebrate and amplify rising-star artists and creatives from the Bronx and NYC. Each new release presents an opportunity to partner with incredible talents, who bring such perspective, emotion and beauty through their artwork and their own missions. We commit to continuing to do so in a professional, fair and collaborative manner, recognizing and respecting the value of their craft.
- We will continue to transform our Taproom & Backyard spaces into galleries showcasing the artwork and messages of our local creatives and artists — spaces the eyes, the ears, the mind, and for celebrating the role of beer and art in our community.
Inclusivity.
We believe that beer has a unique ability to bring people together and build community.
It was with that motivation that we started this brewery nearly 10 years ago. As a team, we are committed to our spaces — our offices, our Taproom and our Backyard — being the most diverse and inclusive in the city. All are welcome. All should feel safe.
To ensure that we’re meeting those goals, we will be committing to the following:
- Constantly educating ourselves and engaging in conversations around diversity, discrimination and the role we play in our community.
- Refining our own internal practices around recruiting, hiring, retaining & growing.
- Collaborating with local brands with shared values.
- Supporting BIPOC and others who are underrepresented in the brewing community.
- Examining our existing partnerships and supply chain to ensure that these values and ethics are shared by those with whom we do business.
We present this statement of values and the steps we are committed to taking to you — our BXB Family — so that there is no doubt about where we stand as a company, brand and team. We welcome your comments, challenges, suggestions, support and partnership as we continue our efforts to produce the best beer we can, in the best space in NYC, and in a way that best supports our Bronx and NYC communities.
Thank you,
The Bronx Brewery Team