When several companies walked back their support for underrepresented groups and canceled diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Brooklyn Brewery got even louder in its long-time support of the LGBTQ+ community.
The New York City-based craft brewery is redoubling its efforts to support LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, who will celebrate during the city’s annual Pride march on Sunday, June 29.
In this week’s edition of A Round With, our Q&A with industry leaders exclusively for Brewbound Insiders, Brooklyn president and CEO Robin Ottaway explains why 2025 is “the moment to step up.”
Here is our conversation with Robin, which has been lightly edited for clarity:
Brooklyn Brewery has long been a staunch and vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly during Pride month. How did this relationship begin?
Robin: Our connection to the LGBTQ+ community really deepened when we began working with The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) nearly a decade ago to create a beer that would help raise funds and awareness for the organization. SIGBI is a non-profit organization inspired by the struggles and ideals of the LGBTQ rights movement born from the Stonewall Uprising in the late ’60s. Through awareness campaigns, educational programming, fundraising, and candid public dialogue, they support grassroots organizations – particularly in communities where progress toward equality has been slow. It’s a mission that resonated with us from the start.
Since then, we’ve worked to show up not just during Pride month, but year-round – using our platform to elevate advocacy, foster visibility and support real change in the community. Through our ongoing Create Space initiative, we amplify LGBTQ+ voices and stories, spotlighting the individuals driving progress in their own communities.
We were also one of the first brands to pilot SIGBI’s Safe Space certification and continue to encourage others in our industry to follow suit. It cannot be just about one month – it needs to be about creating lasting impact, together.
At a time when many companies are backing away from their support of underrepresented groups, Brooklyn has expanded its embrace of the LGBTQ+ community even further with the launch of Brooklyn Brewery Supports, a fund to support 25 trans, non-binary and two spirit New Yorkers. Why is this important to do right now?
Robin: We launched Brooklyn Brewery Supports because we felt a sense of urgency. This community is being targeted politically and culturally and symbolic gestures just don’t cut it. We wanted to take action that could directly impact people’s lives. Providing funds that go straight into the hands of individuals felt like one of the most immediate and meaningful things we could do.
This will be Brooklyn’s eighth year brewing The Stonewall Inn IPA, which supports the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative. How do you keep a philanthropy beer fresh year after year?
Robin: What keeps it fresh is that it’s more than a beer. It’s a vehicle for conversation and action. The Stonewall Inn IPA started as a limited-edition release, but became a permanent part of our core portfolio quickly thereafter, and has since rolled out more globally throughout the UK and Europe. We work closely with SIGBI throughout the year to support their initiatives through campaigns, events and community activations.
This year also marks our third year as the official brewery of NYC Pride, with The Stonewall Inn IPA as the official beer for the third year in a row as well – a platform that helps amplify the broader mission and bring more visibility to the work year-round. The beer remains a constant, but the work continues to grow, and that’s what gives it real staying power.
We’ve seen companies targeted for their support of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. What made you want to double down when much larger companies than Brooklyn have pulled support?
Robin: Because for us, support isn’t conditional. It’s not based on trends, politics or what feels safe. We’re not a perfect company, but we believe that if you have a platform, you should use it to stand up, especially when others are backing down. Our team felt very strongly that this wasn’t the moment to retreat. It was the moment to step up.
Brooklyn’s Special Effects non-alcoholic family predates the craft NA boom we’re in right now. How do you hold share as an early entrant in a dynamic category?
Robin: We introduced Brooklyn Special Effects before the current NA boom really took shape, which gave us a valuable head start in understanding the category and the consumer. Being early helped us build credibility, but staying relevant comes down to delivering a product that stands on its own.
We brew Brooklyn Special Effects the same way we approach any of our beers – with attention to quality, ingredients and flavor. That’s been important as the space has evolved and more options have entered the market. We’ve expanded the line over time to give people more choice, and it’s been great to see that work recognized, like when our Brooklyn Special Effects Grapefruit IPA took home a bronze medal at the 2024 Great American Beer Festival.
The core idea hasn’t changed: It’s beer, just without the alcohol. And that’s something people still come back to.
Fonio Rising Pale Ale was a no-brainer for us as 2024’s Best New Product in the annual Brewbound awards. How is the beer’s 2025 shaping up and what else can we expect to see for fonio in the future?
Robin: We were honored by the Brewbound recognition. Fonio Rising Pale Ale really struck a chord last year, not just because of how it tastes, but because of what it represents. We originally launched it as a limited release as part of our Brewing for Impact campaign and to celebrate our brewmaster Garrett Oliver’s 30th anniversary with Brooklyn Brewery. But the response made it clear it should become a core beer, and in 2025, we’ve expanded distribution nationwide.
While Fonio Rising Pale Ale introduced the grain to a broader audience, our work with fonio started well before that. Garrett had been incorporating it into small-batch and limited releases for years. We see fonio as more than a trend – it’s a meaningful ingredient with deep roots, a low environmental impact and a unique flavor profile. We’re continuing to explore what it can bring to brewing – whether that’s through new styles, new collaborations or simply building more awareness around the grain and the communities behind it. And of course, it’s also just a really delicious pale ale, which is what keeps people coming back.
We are now five years removed from co-founder Steve Hindy’s retirement. What is it like to lead the brewery through this new era?
Robin: Steve laid the foundation for what Brooklyn Brewery stands for, not just as a business, but as a brand rooted in independence, creativity and purpose. Leading the brewery in this next chapter has meant honoring that legacy while navigating an industry that’s evolving faster than ever.
In nearly 30 years in the business, I’ve never seen change happen at this pace – consumer tastes shift quickly, trends come and go and brand life cycles have shortened. Our role is to stay ahead of that, which means adapting thoughtfully, investing in innovation across alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer, and continuing to grow in ways that resonate with today’s drinkers. It’s a new era, but one that still carries the values we’ve always believed in.
What do other post-founder leaders need to know about keeping a brewery’s culture alive?
Robin: Culture is always difficult to define, but it can be built through consistent actions. For us, that’s meant staying rooted in the values that made Brooklyn Brewery what it is, while recognizing that culture has to evolve to stay relevant.
You can’t manufacture it, but you can influence it by being open, honest and intentional – especially about who you hire, how you lead and how you communicate with your consumers. I’ve always believed that if you surround yourself with good people, and make sure leadership reflects the values you want to see, culture follows. It’s not about holding on to the past or chasing trends. It’s about listening to your team, trusting them and creating the space for something meaningful to grow.
Brooklyn has recorded volume growth every year since 2021, something very few regional brewers can say. What is contributing to these positive trends?
Robin: There’s no single reason. It’s the result of consistent, focused work across multiple fronts. We’ve made it a priority to stay relevant in our home markets while continuing to expand our global footprint. A big part of our growth has come from strong national and international partnerships – we’re fortunate to have a brand with global resonance and partners who believe in building with us long-term.
We’ve also invested in innovation, from our growing non-alcoholic portfolio with Brooklyn Special Effects to purpose-driven beers like Fonio Rising and new launches like Playa de Brooklyn.
And we’ve stayed close to culture – showing up through meaningful collaborations, local activations and the kind of community work that keeps the brand connected to real people. All of that adds up.
The brewery is in the process of building and moving out of Williamsburg to a new headquarters in Greenpoint. How’s that going?
Robin: Well, depending on who you ask, it’s either still Williamsburg or officially Greenpoint. We’re right on the border, so the neighborhood debate has already started! Either way, we’re happy we’re staying close to home.
Even though the new brewery is just a few blocks from where we are now, it’s a big project, and like any construction effort, it comes with its share of challenges. But it also opens up a lot of new possibilities: more space for guests, greater flexibility for events, expanded hospitality and a more advanced in-house brewhouse that allows us to keep pushing innovation. Our current home has served us well for nearly 30 years, but we’re excited for the opportunity to grow in ways that just weren’t possible here.