Ebony & Ivory: Ale Sharpton & New Belgium Brew Good with Piano Keys
Photo courtesy of Cork Bros.
By David Nilsen
Ale Sharpton knew exactly the beer he wanted to brew when he was approached by New Belgium Brewing about a collaboration. The large craft brewery wanted to appeal to demographics that have historically been excluded from craft beer, and hoped the prolific Atlanta-based beer writer could help them do it. Ale showed up at the brewery’s board room in Fort Collins, Colorado, with plans for a new beer that would bridge cultural divides, and he already had the marketing and launch events planned out.
“I told them we’re going to brew a beer, and I want it to be an Imperial Stout with chocolate and vanilla,” he explains. “I wanted to make an Imperial Stout because they didn’t make them very often, and I wanted it to have chocolate and vanilla because I wanted to educate people that beer can be more than just fizzy and yellow, but also because [of what they represent]: ebony and ivory, Black and White.”
Ale had long respected New Belgium’s progressive stances and the fact they were founded and (at the time) run by a woman, long-time CEO Kim Jordan. When they gave him a call, he was eager to work with them.
“They told me, ‘with D.E.I. (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and just diversity in general, we want to step our game up, and we think you’d be the best person in the whole world to help us get there,” he recalls. In addition to the esteem in which he held the brewery, he recognized they also had the reach to be able to make a meaningful impact with the collaboration.
The result of those early meetings was Piano Keys, an elegant Imperial Stout brewed with ethically-sourced cacao nibs and vanilla. The beer is released periodically in 4-pack cans, and has given Ale and New Belgium the opportunity to host events and start conversations that have invited new fans into the world of craft beer, and—most importantly—helped those newcomers see a place for themselves in craft beer.
Beer Can Be Dessert
Dennis Malcolm Byron—better known as Ale Sharpton—has been writing about beer for about twenty years, an eternity in the ever-changing craft beer industry. He’s seen styles come and go and breweries open and close, but during his two decades as a beer writer, the industry’s steps toward greater racial diversity have been painfully slow.
“I started as a writer for hip hop and magazines like that, but I’ve always had a real passion for beer,” he says. “I had the opportunity to kind of write in that language that I speak and a lot of people can relate to, which is more down to earth. Entering the beer scene as a Black beer writer was something new.”
His interest in beer started when he would grab sips of his uncle’s Miller High Life when he was too young to drink it himself, but as an adult, he became fascinated with the culinary flavors of beer. His sister is a chef, and he recognized early on the variety of flavors possible with this beverage.
“I love the fact that beer can basically create any flavor profile more than any other libation in the world,” he says. When it came time to create Piano Keys, it made sense for him to go beyond basic beer ingredients to craft the flavor vision he had in his head. It was important to him that the vanilla and cacao used in the beer be sourced in such a way that ensured the farmers and laborers were being taken care of. They ultimately settled on Ugandan vanilla, and have used a few different cacao origins—including Uganda and Nicaragua— sourced from Atlanta bean to bar chocolate company Xocolatl Small Batch Chocolate in different batches of the beer.
The beer weighs in at a hefty 10% ABV, but it’s devilishly easy to drink. The mouthfeel of the beer was a critical component for Ale.
“I made sure the texture would not be syrupy,” he says. “That’s a big thing with a lot of Stouts that intimidates people, they think it’s too heavy. I wanted to keep the body on the lighter side so it could be enjoyed in a different way from a lot of Stouts out there. In the aroma, you get notes of chocolate and some subtle hints of vanilla. You might be thinking brownie or some hints of coffee. When you take that first sip, you’re going to get dark chocolate that’s not going to be overly sweet.”
At Piano Keys events, he’s been pleased with the reaction he’s gotten from people who aren’t used to these flavors.
“A lot of people are like, ‘wow, I didn’t know a beer could be dessert.’”
A Beer that Makes a Difference
Beyond having an idea for the beer itself, Ale had a full marketing and design plan in hand when he presented his ideas to New Belgium’s leadership. He was a marketing major in college, and brought that expertise to the label and brand concept for the Piano Keys.
The Piano Keys label is solid black with New Belgium’s and Ale Sharpton’s names in fine red lettering at the top. Down one side of the label runs a black and white piano keyboard beside the beer’s name in large white letters. In the center of the “a” of “piano” sits the silhouette of a Teko glass, Ale’s favorite beer glass, and the letter represents his name as well.
“I made sure the font was not only paying homage to Blue Note, one of the most respected jazz labels in the world, but also to The Sopranos and The Godfather,” he explains. “I wanted this to be a gangster Stout.”
The branding extends down to the signature glassware for the beer, which displays the same keyboard. The black keys are empty outlines, and when the beer is poured, the dark liquid shows through black. The glassware design was done by Mike Potter, co-founder of Black Brew Culture and Fresh Fest (now Barrel & Flow), the country’s first Black beer festival.
Brewing a great beer is one thing, but Ale and New Belgium have never forgotten the purpose behind their collaboration. Ale and his wife, Andrea, set up a foundation called BrewGether, which allows the craft beer community to “support non-profit organizations finding innovative solutions to changing the circumstances that negatively affect our communities.” Proceeds from the beer benefit this mission.
Through fundraising, in-person events, and simple visibility, Ale Sharpton and New Belgium are working to make craft beer a space that is welcoming for all, and they’re using a decadent Imperial Stout to do it.
“People get the vision. It’s not just a Black beer. It’s a beer. It’s a beer that’s helping make a difference. I’m happy to be one of the first people to really show that beer could be for everybody and have a position creating a career in beer. Not just in brewing, but marketing, design, sales, whatever the case may be. There’s still only 1% [brewery] ownership on the Black side, but the beer industry is growing. This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint.”
A new batch of Piano Keys has just been canned, and Ale is hosting a launch party on February 25 at New Belgium’s Asheville taproom. You can listen to my full interview with Ale in Episode 41 of the Bean to Barstool Podcast: