New film tells story of Minnesota’s first Black woman to become a head brewer

Most days at Modist Brewing Co., Bri Smith is focused on the same responsibilities as any head brewer: managing production, supporting her team, and solving whatever problems come up along the way. 

At the same time, she’s navigating an industry where she doesn’t often see people who look like her. She is the first head brewer in Minnesota known to be a Black woman.

Premiering on Juneteenth at Wooden Ship Brewing Co., Smith tells her story in a 10-minute film, “Fermenting Our Place,” which celebrates her achievement and shows what it has taken to build her career.

“If I can do it, then you can do it too. Hopefully, people will be inspired if they have any interest in  craft beer or any white-dominated space not to be afraid,” Smith said in an interview. “It’s so corny, but be the change you want to see in the world.”

Funded by the Black Midwest Initiative, filmmaker Onteya Zachary said she wanted to explore the intersection of environmental racism, craft beer, and urban space through Smith’s five-year journey.

For Zachary, the film provides a more creative outlet than her academic work, which draws on Black, feminist, and urban geographic theory to examine the intersections of race, craft beer history, and geography in the U.S. Midwest. 

“The reason why I made the film is to convey the importance for communities, especially for Black communities, to document their own stories,” said Zachary, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Geography, Environment & Society at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

“Despite Black people’s deep historical ties to brewing, agriculture and fermentation, the contemporary beer industry has been constructed as white — through policy, labor practices, and the environments in which beer is produced and consumed,” she said.

“Fermenting Our Place” will also be shown on June 20 at Modist Brewing; June 28 at Bad Weather Brewing Co.; July 17 at Barrel Theory Beer Co.; and it’s an official selection of the 2026 Black & Brown Femme Film Festival in Chicago running from July 24-25.

Finding a place and space 

Smith didn’t originally plan on becoming a brewer. She had been laid off from her job in the service industry during the pandemic and needed a job.

This led to Modist, where Smith first delivered beer before moving into production. It was there she started learning more about the technical side of brewing.

Former Modist packaging manager Jason Dixon remembers her commitment and enthusiasm early on.

“She came in green to production, but she was just so excited and just really interested in the process,” he said.

Over time, Dixon said Smith began asking questions about representation and the lack of Black female brewers.They both wanted to change that dynamic. But when a brewing position opened at Modist, Smith wasn’t initially considered.

 “We really dropped the ball on this. We did a disservice to Bri and I pushed for her when another opportunity opened up,” Dixon said. 

“I said that Bri had that passion and desire. She really wants this and will exceed all expectations,” he said.

From there, Smith kept moving up at Modist.

“It’s not a surprise to me at all. She did everything to get herself to where she is today,” Dixon said. “She’s a phenomenal person, just a force to be reckoned with in the brewing industry.”

Smith said while she does enjoy beer, it’s really been about all the positives around it: finding a community, a fun job and a career.

“I have stability in my life for the first time. I’ve never had a career-building position on my resume,” Smith said.  “That’s a huge deal for me personally as a Black woman. People care about me here. I’ve never experienced this level of investment from the people at this company compared to my other jobs.”

Building a community for people of color in craft beer

Alongside the screening of the film, Wooden Ship and several local breweries each will release a new Juneteenth beer in a collaboration with Brewing Change Collaborative called “De-Pale the Ale.” Smith and Zachary met through the group, which promotes diversity and equity in the craft beer industry.

“I pulled the phrase from one of my favorite readings about how Black people are getting involved in beer festivals. It describes bringing attention to the ways Black people have always been here,” said Zachary. A slogan on the can of each of the new releases will say, “This craft is ours.”

“In regards to the collaboration, it’s significant for people and businesses to stand up for something and put action behind their beliefs. We greatly value and appreciate our community relationships,” said Elle Rhodes, a co-founder of Brewing Change Collaborative and territory sales manager at Soufflet Malt. “Despite the hate and intended erasure of diversity in America during this administration, we celebrate amongst our community with our friends, and invite everyone to share our joy.”

Smith said Brewing Change Collaborative gives her a much needed support system.

“If I weren’t in BCC, I don’t know that I would have anybody else that would be in a position to relate to me in that way,” she said.

Smith says she still continually experiences being dismissed even as head brewer, whether by someone visiting Modist who second guesses her knowledge, or by people who ignore or overlook her in introductions at industry events.

“I feel like people disregard Black women or people of color. You don’t even want to consider my opinion because you’re not expecting my presence here,” she said.

Despite those experiences, Smith said she’s been blown away by the relationships she’s been able to foster through the world of beer. She’s also not the only Black woman brewer. There are two other women in the Twin Cities area, Elanis “E” Molinar, a brewer at Bad Weather and Brittney Mikell, founder of Bubble Line Brewing Co. 

Pairing the screening with Juneteenth also connects Smith’s story to the importance of documenting Black history—particularly in industries like brewing, where history dating back to African origins has often been overlooked.

“It’s important to mark and acknowledge an accomplishment in any way, but especially when barriers are broken to do so. Bri has demonstrated leadership and perseverance in an industry slanted against her,” Rhodes said.

The film, the collaboration and the people who show up to those events are all part of reshaping what the space looks like, Zachary said.

“No matter what the reason is for Black people’s presence in the space — it’s something to be celebrated,” she said. “Who gets to tell what stories can change history sometimes.”

‘Fermenting Our Place’ screenings

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