Annie McGinnis Named President of the National Black Brewers Association

Photos: Sensei Brands

At Vine Street Brewing, we are proud to share that Annie McGinnis has been appointed President of the National Black Brewers Association.

This is a major moment. Not just for Annie, and not just for Vine Street, but for the broader movement to build a stronger, more connected, more sustainable Black brewing community across the country.

As co-owner of Vine Street Brewing, Missouri’s first Black-owned brewery, Annie has helped shape this space with a clear sense of purpose. Her work has never been limited to operating a brewery. She has consistently shown up as a builder of relationships, a connector of people, and an advocate for more opportunity, visibility, and support across the craft beer industry.

That matters.

Black brewing in this country still carries both promise and pressure. The work is creative, cultural, and community-driven, but it also demands real structure, real access, and real leadership. Annie’s appointment signals the kind of leadership this moment calls for. Grounded. Collaborative. Forward-looking. Rooted in people, not just platforms.

At Vine Street, we see that leadership up close. We see it in the way Annie builds with intention. We see it in the way she holds space for others. We see it in the way she treats beer not just as product, but as a vehicle for connection, belonging, and long-term community growth.

Her new role with the National Black Brewers Association creates room for even more of that work to reach farther. It creates new opportunities to strengthen networks, support emerging Black beer professionals, and help shape a brewing industry that better reflects the people and communities who make culture move.

We are proud of Annie. We are excited for what this means. And we are paying attention to what comes next.

Please join us in congratulating Annie McGinnis on this appointment as President of the National Black Brewers Association.

The work matters. The leadership matters. And this one is well deserved.