Brewed to honor the legacy of Mr. Theodore Mack Sr., the first African American brewery owner.
Power to the People
Oak Park Brewing Co. brewed Peoples Beer to honor the legacy of Mr. Theodore Mack Sr., the first African American brewery owner. Mack picked cotton in the fields of Alabama and rose to become a civil rights giant. In 1970, he purchased Peoples Brewing Co. in Oshkosh, Wisconsin to provide employment opportunities in minority communities and brew beer for the people – Peoples Beer.
Mr. Mack’s historic achievements helped pave the way for future minority business owners. The revival of Peoples Beer is particularly important today as it gives hope to the community for what is possible.
OPB followed the original recipe when brewing Peoples Beer. Peoples Beer is a light, crisp lager you can drink year round. Peoples Beer is currently distributed in the Sacramento area with plans to further its reach in the coming months. OPB’s mission is to get Peoples Beer to the people.
The Mack Family
Oak Park Brewing Co. has partnered with the Mack family to create this historic collaboration. Mr. Mack II says the family is overjoyed by the Peoples Beer collaboration being a “continuation of their legacy.” Mr. Mack Sr. was a leader of CORE, the Congress of Racial Equality, he served on multiple civil rights organizations and led a group to the 1963 March on Washington.
OPB is honored to continue the story of Peoples Beer. “We want to tell the right story and we got the right guy to tell it,” says Rodg Little, OPB brewer. Today Mr. Mack’s story is commemorated and will be heard again and again with every can.