Beverage Industry Inclusion
Chris Montana , founder of Du Nord Social Spirits in Minneapolis , the first Black-owned distillery in the U . S .
Beyond Distilling offers coconut rum , tropical gin and wheated bourbon .
necessarily people who already had the skills to do the job we hired them for . Many of our bartenders come in having never poured a drink before , but we can teach them . In production , we never hired a single person who had worked in the spirits industry before ,” says Montana .
“ In fact , every single person that works for Du Nord today has come from outside the spirits industry . We bring them in based on the fact that they ’ re smart people and then get out of their way . We respect that they can figure things out and we can benefit from their new perspective . When you treat people that way , it permeates the entire company .”
Along with a workforce of diverse perspectives , the distillery supports diversity through its Du Nord Foundation , a nonprofit dedicated to addressing racial inequities and building economic justice in the Twin Cities through immediate relief and long-term investing in entrepreneurs and business leaders of color .
“ We had a GoFundMe campaign to help out other businesses around us , and it was extremely successful . So , we realized that we needed to create a nonprofit so this money we raised can actually go to the business that need it . Once we had that , we got three different questions : the issue of food and supply security , because we didn ’ t have that at the time ; small business support , getting those businesses around us the funds they needed even just to stay open ; and this last piece about business incubation .”
Today the company focuses on the first and third questions , Montana says . “ We have the Du Nord foundation community market ; if people are experiencing food insecurity , they can reach out to us . We continue to work on and develop the business incubation side . That ’ s a longer-term project but there are some promising developments on that as well . We ’ ve secured a building in South Minneapolis to incubate new business with a focus on getting underrepresented communities to be a little better represented .”
“ It ’ s not just about selling booze ,” Montana says , “ it ’ s also about creating something that people do need and making a positive change .”
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES Another craft distillery , Beyond Distilling , distinguishes itself for its mission to employ people with intellectual disabilities . “ It is incredibly important for all industries to employ these individuals , as it provides equal opportunities ,” says Tyler LaCorata , co-owner and distiller at Beyond Distilling . “ Research has shown that this reduces turnover within the workforce .”
Located in North Charleston , SC , Beyond Distilling features three spirits . One is a 90-proof wheated bourbon , aged for four years in 53-gallon new American white oak barrels with char # 4 . There ’ s also a white rum flavored with natural coconut flavors , and a tropical-style gin made with watermelon , papaya , mango and pineapple .”
LaCorata says he and cofounders Kerianne Krause and Ryan Sadis had the idea of creating a company “ where they could allow themselves to make products that they wanted to drink in a space that enables all people to do work they could be proud of .”
The three were working in different industries , LaCorata says . “ Ryan and I worked in multiple distilleries prior to deciding to go out on our own and take ownership of our recipes and concepts . Kerianne came on with her experience and knowledge owning a business and working with individuals with disabilities .”
When talking about diversity , those with disabilities can be overlooked . It ’ s important to remember to account for all manner of diverse backgrounds and perspectives when striving for an equitable and inclusive workplace . Beyond Distilling goes “ above and beyond ” in this regard by making sure at least 50 % of its employees are people who have intellectual disabilities .
“ We make working fun — everyone enjoys coming to work every day due to the positive and patient working environment . Our logo is of an open door due to our mission of employing people with intellectual disabilities and being a fully inclusive workforce ,” says LaCorata .
Beyond Distilling is making important strides in the business side of things as well : “ Equal pay is also very important , as there is a loophole in the federal Labor Law that allows employers to pay individuals with disabilities nothing or less than minimum wage ,” LaCorata says . “ We need to ensure paying equal wages is also part of the mission and be a part of closing that loophole .”
16 2022 Beverage Industry Inclusion