Springfield Based White Lion Brewing Company Roaring Loudly In Craft Brewing Space
Springfield, MA – “There is a lot of mythology around the symbol of the white lions. African elders saw white lions as the children of the sun. It’s a positive symbol, that goes beyond race, color, creed, or background – it applies to all mankind. When we tell our story, we want to portray and embody inclusion,” shared Ray Berry, Owner of The White Lion Brewing Company located in downtown Springfield.
Regarded as one of the most sacred animals in Africa, Berry draws inspiration from these rare and majestic creatures said to symbolize pride, strength, courage and justice, among many other meanings. “There are only a handful of black owned breweries in Massachusetts, and out of the 8000 breweries in the country, only about 70-80 of them are black owned. Communities of color haven’t really been targeted in the craft beer conversation. So, we’re changing the conversation. We want brewers of color to be welcomed in the craft beer space.”
For Berry, White Lion Brewing Company is about more than producing premium craft beer. It’s an opportunity to set a more diverse table through entrepreneurship, and then invite others to that table – not just as guests – but to bring their gifts and genius to the table as well. “When I think about the craft beer space, there is a perception that it is white male dominate, you know, with tattoos and beards. However, there is a significant and growing population of black-owned, woman-owned and Latinx-owned breweries. We want to be part of the movement to expand the craft beer space to the true essence of what our society looks like.”
Berry, who is originally from New Jersey, came to Springfield to attend American International College for his undergraduate degree, and continued on to Springfield College for his graduate degree. His early career was spent working mainly in nonprofit and community-based organizations, including a Community Development Corporation, yet he was always interested in the entrepreneurial space, with ideas coming and going. Beer, in general, began to spark a real and lasting interest during this time, however, the craft beer movement was happening primarily outside of the City of Springfield.
An opportunity to begin a more formal introduction to this space came in the form of a request from the mayor for him to serve on the liquor license community. As he worked with the committee, he observed that there were many requests for locally produced products, however, there wasn’t a craft beer presence in Springfield. Berry resigned his role with the committee and began strategizing how he could bring the pieces together to build his own brand. He found a reputable brewer, brought on a design team, and late 2014 launched White Lion Brewing, though he didn’t have his own facility at the time.
Six years later, with the right pieces in place, The White Lion Brewing Company now has its own space at 1500 Main Street, Springfield, MA. “The community support has been incredible. I’m just proud to build something that is made in Springfield, by Springfield, for Springfield,” Berry shared. And opening the brewery space is just the beginning. White Lion will have a kitchen partner who will control the restaurant space in the near future. Around Springtime, customers can look forward to enjoying amazing food offerings to match with the creative beer options offered by White Lion.
“Determining the beer flavors has been a team approach with Mike Yates, the brewer. He knows the ins and outs and intricacies of brewing and knows how to match and marry the flavors with the fruits and berries and hops. There are hundreds of different styles of beers that can be brewed, and right now, IPAs are at the forefront, comprising about 40% of the market. There is a segment of the beer-drinking population are going just for the IPAs, but we also cater to customers who love lagers, stouts, golden ales, fruited golden ales, sours, and we’ve actually just released two new sours, and more. Consumers really drive the conversations that lead to the flavor and style ideas we ultimately produce.”
Ray Berry’s Popular Picks: The brand-new Carnival Candy Sour and the Passion & Peach Bellini Sour. “It’s important for us to release new innovations, and our new releases will be our contribution to the ‘sour space’. The sour style will be a mainstay for us. The consumer loves creativity and loves for you to bring different offerings into the fold. It’s important to us for us to honor the consumer’s wants and needs.”
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