A decade-long aspiration has materialized with the establishment of a groundbreaking Black-owned brewery in the heart of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighbourhood.

Turner Haus Brewery will open on Nov. 30, marking a significant milestone for co-founders Steven Turner and Blair Aikens, according to NBC-5 Chicago. The brewery will share its space with Sip and Savor Coffee Shop, a popular local establishment.

Turner expressed mixed emotions: "I'm feeling excited, exhausted, and excited. We’re very excited to be an option for people to gather, socialize, and drink in our neighbourhood.”

The co-founders see this venture as an opportunity to reinvest in their community through job creation. Trez Van Pugh III, owner of Sip and Savor, said, “It’s going to be a real good thing for the community. We’re going to create jobs in the community. It’s going to cause a lot of buzz, which it already has.”

Aikens added that each beer crafted and sold by Turner Haus Brewery is named in honour of a family matriarch whose inspiration is reflected in the recipe.

“One of the things we have in our slogan is that these are people that poured into us, and now we pour pints of them,” Turner said.

In addition to contributing to the local job market, the founders hope to make a lasting impact as Black entrepreneurs in an industry where their presence is underrepresented. Fewer than one per cent of breweries are Black-owned, according to the National Black Brewers Association.

“I look at it as an opportunity because, at that point, it’s an opportunity for us to get into this community and educate them on not only who we are but also beer and craft beer in and of itself,” Turner told NBC Chicago.