Brothers Richard and Mengistu Koilor’s journey to opening Philadelphia’s first Black-owned brewery began in 2016 when Richard bought a home-brewing kit and set it up in his brother’s West Philadelphia backyard.

That dream recently became a reality when the two brothers officially opened Two Locals Brewing Co. in University City, writes Michael Klein for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

“The more that we saw that there was a lack of Black brewers and a lack of Black breweries — that is what really pushed us to want to open up this space,” said Mengistu Koilor.

According to the Brewers Association, Black-owned breweries account for only 0.4% of the 9,500 breweries in the United States. 

Two Locals holds great value to the Koilors, and has a larger mission. 

“We want to be able to show more Black people how to brew and how to get into the industry, and we want to talk about our culture and tell our story through our beers,” said Richard Koilor.

Less than four years ago, the Koilors got on the region’s beer map and have now placed themselves firmly in the mix.

Customers can expect a variety of beers, along with food provided by Fishtown restaurant, Liberty Kitchen.

Read more about the Koilors’ journey to opening Philly’s first Black-owned brewery at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on PHILADELPHIA Today in February 2024.