Black Warrior Brewing Company
Craft brewery named after the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa.
Black Warrior Brewing Company sits in a two-story commercial storefront in Tuscaloosa’s Downtown Historic District, a space that once housed Oak City Barber & Beauty Shop, a historically Black-owned business. The brewery was founded by friends Joe Fuller, Jason Spikes, and Eric Hull, who had worked together and shared a passion for home-brewing. They named the company after the Black Warrior River, which runs through Tuscaloosa County. Black Warrior became the second brewery in the city after Tuscaloosa’s city council amended zoning laws in 2012 to permit breweries and brewpubs.
The brewery’s regular lineup includes Apricot Wheat (4.6% ABV), Blonde Ale (5.1% ABV), Broad Street Brown Ale (5.4% ABV), Lock 17 IPA (6.2% ABV), Crimson Ale (5.2% ABV), and Belgian Red Rye (6.8% ABV). In addition, new small-batch brews appear weekly.
Once a month, Black Warrior hosts “Pints with a Purpose,” a charity night that donates a portion of sales to a different local organization. In March 2014, the brewery ran Ales to Fight Hunger, a fundraiser supporting a charity that provides weekend meals to hungry schoolchildren in Alabama. The company also sponsors Tuscaloosa GoKickBall.
Quick Facts
- Hq Location
- Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Num Employees
- 4
- Industry
- Alcoholic beverage
- Founded
- 2012
- Products
- beer
- Owner
- Joe Fuller · Eric Hull · Jason Spikes · Wayne Yarbrough
- Area Served
- Alabama
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The brewery was founded by friends and home-brewing enthusiasts Joe Fuller, Jason Spikes, and Eric Hull, who also worked together before deciding to open the business. They named the company after the Black Warrior River that runs through Tuscaloosa County. Black Warrior was the second brewery to open in Tuscaloosa after the city council voted in 2012 to change zoning ordinances to allow breweries and brewpubs. The brewery occupies a two-story commercial storefront in the Downtown Tuscaloosa Historic District; the previous tenant was the Oak City Barber & Beauty Shop, a historically Black-owned business.
Reader's Guide
Black Warrior Brewing Company holds significance as an early participant in Tuscaloosa's modern craft beer scene, being the second brewery to open after the city's 2012 zoning changes permitted such establishments. Its founders, who were home-brewing enthusiasts and coworkers, rooted the brewery's identity in the local geography by naming it after the Black Warrior River. The brewery's location in the Downtown Tuscaloosa Historic District, in a space formerly occupied by a historically Black-owned barber and beauty shop, ties it to the area's commercial and cultural history. Beyond its regular lineup of beers—including Apricot Wheat, Blonde Ale, Broad Street Brown Ale, Lock 17 IPA, Crimson Ale, and Belgian Red Rye—the brewery produces additional weekly new small-batch brews. Community engagement is a notable aspect of its operations: Black Warrior hosts a monthly charity night called 'Pints with a Purpose,' donating a percentage of sales to a different local charity each month. In March 2014, it held Ales to Fight Hunger, a fundraiser for a charity providing weekend food to hungry schoolchildren in Alabama. The brewery also sponsors Tuscaloosa GoKickBall.
Did You Know?
- Its founders were friends and home-brewing enthusiasts who also worked together before opening the brewery.
- Black Warrior hosts a monthly charity night called 'Pints with a Purpose' that donates a percentage of sales to local charities.
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