Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
Right now, there are three Black-owned whiskey brands in Chicago: Alexander James, Bull Young Bourbon and Renard Whiskey.
The brands are part of a nationwide increase of Black entrepreneurs founding alcohol brands, my colleague Erica Thompson reports.
In today’s newsletter, we’ll take a look at this industry and what these brand owners face.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on the death of legendary rock pioneer Steve Albini, a list of Chicago’s most at-risk historic locations and more community news you need to know below. 👇
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Chicago’s Black-owned whiskey brands are breaking down barriers in the alcohol industry
Reporting by Erica Thompson
‘Big on legacy': Over the years, Jesse Steward Jr. would listen to his grandfathers trade family stories over cigars and glasses of whiskey. During one of their gatherings, inspiration struck: Steward decided to launch his own whiskey brand and name it after his now-6-year-old son, Alexander James. “I’m really big on legacy,” said Steward, 32, of Beverly. “All of our family’s history and legacy was told over a glass of whiskey. So I wanted to continue that tradition of storytelling and encourage people to do the same.”
Industry growth brewing: Today, Alexander James, Bull Young Bourbon and Renard Whiskey are the only Black-owned whiskey brands in Chicago. Having launched within the last four years, the companies are part of a nationwide increase of Black entrepreneurs founding alcohol brands, according to Pronghorn, an Atlanta-based business that invests in Black-owned spirits brands.
Working against the grain: Industry insiders say Black-owned alcohol brands are just a fraction of the industry, due to lack of access to capital and other resources. And research by Pronghorn shows that, while Black people represent 12% of alcohol consumers, they only account for 7% of the employment base, with only 2% at the executive level.
Key quote: “In general, Black-owned brands have been historically underfunded and overlooked,” said Steven Brown, senior vice president of finance at Pronghorn. That reality, combined with limited access to information about the highly regulated alcohol industry, can create barriers to making headway, Brown added.
Mutual support:Still, Chicago’s Black whiskey brand owners are enthusiastically pressing forward while supporting each other. “We all have our own different niches and customer bases. So, I don’t look at it as competition,” Steward said. “The pie is big enough for everybody to eat.”
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- Remembering Steve Albini: The legendary studio sound engineer and artist who produced albums for Nirvana, the Pixies, Jesus Lizard, PJ Harvey and countless other icons of the indie rock underground has died. He was 61.
- End of cash bail a success? More than six months after the Pretrial Safety Act was enacted, data shows early signs of success. While encouraging, researchers say more data over a longer period is needed to reach conclusions about the act’s impact.
- Report warns of bill increase: Illinois ratepayers could see their gas bills soar over the next decade unless officials hit the brakes on spending from the state’s major gas utilities.
- 3.5 stars for ‘I Saw the TV Glow’: It’s equal parts psychological horror film, 1990s TV nostalgia trip, coming-of-age story and dysphoria allegory, writes Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper.
CHICAGO HISTORY ⏳
Chicago’s most at-risk historic locations
Reporting by Isabel Funk
Three Chicago area buildings made the 2024 list of most-endangered locations released by the nonprofit Landmarks Illinois on Tuesday.
The list highlights 10 culturally and architecturally significant sites across the state that are in need of support.
The Sears administration building: This building, part of Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s former world headquarters complex in North Lawndale, also made the list. Completed in 1914, the building is a National Historic Landmark. Though other buildings on the Sears campus, as well as the sunken garden, have been repurposed, the administration building remains unused and has been listed for sale since spring 2023.
Portage Theater: Located in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood, this theater was completed in 1920 and has been closed since 2018, as it is in need of updates and repairs.
Libby, McNeill and Libby building: Built in 1918 in south suburban Blue Island, the factory became a major employer for Libby, McNeill and Libby, which at the time was the second-largest producer of canned goods in the country. The building has been closed since 2018, when it was donated to an affordable recovery housing nonprofit, but it remains vacant while the organization is in litigation with the city over code issues.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
With signature dish, Serai connects Chicago and Malaysia
Reporting by Dorothy Hernandez
Growing up in Malaysia, Victor Low would get char koay teow after school with his best friend, whose dad was a vendor specializing in the pan-fried noodle dish.
It’s an everyday dish that Malaysians have for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s not something typically found in a restaurant because it’s street food or something you get at a night market, Low said. Once you find your go-to spot, nothing else compares.
“That’s how Malaysians are with food. They will drive far and long just for that one particular dish from that one particular place. It’s either that or nothing else,” Low said.
After living in the U.S., Low said having a plate of char koay teow just like how it’s made back home “is like treasure. When you have it, it’s so good. But back then, we grew up with it and [I] didn’t appreciate it as much.”
Low grew up in Kuala Lumpur and immigrated to the U.S. to pursue his MBA in 2004 and has lived in Chicago since 2006.
“Once you go overseas, on those days when you just crave home-cooked food, that’s the first thing that comes to mind, that char flavor, right, that noodle. There’s nothing that comes close to it,” Low said.
Through his Logan Square restaurant Serai (2169 N. Milwaukee Ave.), which serves traditional Malaysian dishes, Low and his business partner, chef Khoon Lew, aim to bring a taste of that to Chicagoans, from people like themselves looking for the flavors of home to those who are unfamiliar with the cuisine.
Serai’s version has shrimp, squid, bean sprouts, egg and Chinese sausage, seasoned with a mixture of light and dark soy sauce (along with some secret chef touches, Low said).
The restaurant doesn’t try to “Americanize” the food or elevate it with different ingredients such as lobster in the char koay teow. That would defeat the purpose of serving Malaysian food, Low said.
“That’s what we wanted [Serai] to become. And that gamble paid off. People come in and say, ‘This is exactly how I used to have it [at home],’ or ‘it reminds me of the store down the street where I grew up.’ That’s the kind of feeling we wanted to present to people.”
To watch a video about Serai’s char koay teow, head here.
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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers
