Athletic Brewing Company, the largest non-alcoholic brewer in the U.S., announced the fourth annual release of Soul Sour in celebration of Black History Month. 100% of the profits from the 2024 release of Soul Sour will be donated to Sacred Heart University (SHU) and the Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing & Distilling (MJF).
Both groups are working to expand technical education for people of color in brewing and distilling trades.
“Soul Sour is one of our most cherished brews, and we’re excited to once again be sharing profits with two organizations that are bringing greater diversity to the brewing industry,” said Athletic Brewing Co-Founder and CEO Bill Shufelt.
First launched in 2021, Soul Sour features a blend of blueberry, lemon, and mango flavors.
“Soul Sour is a beautiful, fruit-forward sour non-alcoholic beer that is helping bring diversity to brewing, which is something that we all want to see,” said Garrett Oliver, the Founder and Chair of the MJF.
Founded in 2020, the MJF — which funds technical education scholarship awards to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) within the brewing and distilling trades — has supported 36 scholarship recipients. Athletic Brewing contributed to the MJF’s annual matching fundraising campaigns in 2022 and 2023, donating a combined $150,000. ProBrewer was the media sponsor for the fundraising process both year. “ProBrewer is proud of our role in partnering with Athletic in raising over $500,000 for The MJF technical brewing scholarships foundation,” said ProBrewer co-founding partner Mark Silva
“The brewing industry has historically lacked diversity,” added Shufelt. “Furthering professional education and welcoming fresh perspectives from new brewers will help make the industry a more inclusive place for all.”
To help commemorate this year’s release, Athletic Brewing has also launched a limited-edition notebook featuring Soul Sour’s signature artwork created by illustrator Sabrena Khadija. The notebook has 32 lined pages to fill with weekly workouts, daily to-do lists, meal plans, and more.