Garrett Oliver: Bringing Brewing to All

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Everyone thought Garrett was crazy to leave his high-rise office job to join a brewery in the attic of a building in 1989. Ever since Garrett had learned about all the craft styles that existed while traveling in Europe, he couldn’t help but think about ways to bring that variety and those styles of beer back to the US. 

Fast forward to today and Garrett has been the Brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewing for over 30 years. 

Something he couldn’t help but notice in the industry is the lack of diversity. Being one of the only black brewers in the early days has instilled in him the desire to re-diversify brewing through his work with the Michael James Jackson Foundation. They are an organization that funds brewing education scholarships to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. 
Athletic Brewing has been proudly supporting the Michael James Jackson Foundation since 2022 through the sale of Soul Sour, a fierce and fruit-forward sour brew crafted annually in honor of Black History Month. 100% of Soul Sour’s profits will be donated to organizations breaking down barriers in brewing, including Sacred Heart University and the Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling, which are crafting opportunities for BIPOC brewers through scholarships, education, and career advancement.