Proximity Brewing, Durham, N.C.’s First Black-Owned Brewery, Has Officially Opened For Business

The first Black-owned brewery in Durham, North Carolina is now officially open for business. Mike Potter, the entrepreneur who has already brought other vibrant ideas to the community, opened Proximity Brewing on Dec. 3, Axios reported. The historic brewery includes an indoor bar, lounge and outdoor patio. Potter partnered with some of the state’s top breweries to craft the beverages at Proximity. The partners include Charlotte’s Resident Culture, Winston-Salem’s Incendiary, Cary’s Bond Brothers and Durham’s Fullsteam. Potter is also the creator of Black Brew Culture, a festival that helps Black brewers promote their business. “When you’re talking about brewers, there’s not a lot of time for social media, advertising, promotion, and that’s where I felt most useful,” Potter told Forbes in 2019.  “I could assist people with recommendations, plugs, referrals. That’s the idea behind Black Brew Culture.” Potter said he has been fascinated with beer since his younger days in Pittsburgh. As he started to pursue his dream of owning a brewery, Potter said he joined his friends in the basement of his print shop to brew some beer. “We made a couple funky batches, started getting better, and we thought, This is a no brainer. We’ve got the branding,...