As you walk through the doors of Vine Street Brewing Co. for the first time, you are introduced to a unique experience that blends art, culture and community, all around a great glass of beer. On Friday the first Black-owned brewery in the city — and the state — celebrates its grand opening by welcoming the community into its new space.

The Star got a sneak peek earlier this week.

The 150-year-old former public works building at 2010 Vine St. pops with vibrant colors and plants that offset the industrial limestone brick facade.

Paintings by Kansas City artist Warren Harvey fill the walls, while the first-floor tabletops are adorned with colorful custom paintings from artist Jessie Green. The large, arching front windows are lightly stained with the company’s branding and artistic line work, helping temper the flood of natural light.

The brand’s logo is Maris, a beer goddess created by Whiskey Design, who hovers above the main serving area. Unlike most beer logos, this depicts the image of a Black woman, head engulfed by an Afro, full lips, and a face which, if you look closely, is shaped like a beer chalice.

Co-owner Kemet Coleman wanted to create an inviting and authentic aesthetic.

“Beer is definitely a community activity,” says Coleman. “We definitely wanted people to walk in and feel welcome because we as Black men know what it feels like to walk into an establishment and not feel welcome.”

On the first floor of the two-story building is a taproom that can hold up to 75 people and is equipped with 12 taps. Another taproom downstairs can accommodate another 75 people. A back area outside will be used as a beer garden.

Downstairs are the business’s four fermentation tanks, capable of brewing 14 kegs at once. Next to them is an area dubbed “the groove room,” for events such as open mics, concerts, listening parties and panel discussions, to name a few. As a professional musician, producer, rapper and entertainer, Coleman felt a responsibility to provide a stage where artists and creatives could showcase their gifts.

The team announced in 2021 that brewery would go into a building that had stood vacant since the late 1970s. They left much of the interior graffiti that had accumulated over the decades, an artistic way to keep a piece of the history while staying true to the spirit of creativity and expression that is so important to the brand, Coleman says.

“I think this block will be full of art and I think this will be a place for a lot of experimentation and expression,” he says.

Coleman, who was exposed to the world of craft beers working for Boulevard Brewing Co. over a decade ago, has since been on a mission to bring that world to the Black community. Coleman began accumulating connections with others who shared his dream and wanted to create a space to change the narrative that you need to go to a bar or nightclub for a beer.

“We are not trying to promote nightlife,” says the 36-year-old KC native. “We hope to enhance what is already happening in the district by offsetting it with another option that fills that gap.”

Co-owner Woodie Bonds Jr. works with co-brewer Elliot Ivory to develop diverse flavor profiles. Each brewer has a different style and approach.

“When I started doing it at first it was just for fun, it gave me an opportunity to be creative,” says Bonds, who was brewing at home the past six years. “I love being able to work with Elliot, who is very technical and true to style and I am more on the crazy side, but you can taste both of our personalities in the beer.”

The six custom beers range from “The Life of the Party,” which is tart and fruity, to something more traditional like “Jazzman,” a dark lager.

“I think people in our community only know what they have been presented by big domestic brands,” says the 42-year-old brewer. “There are a lot of people who think they don’t like beer only because they haven’t been exposed to different kinds, and we get to open up that world to them.”

The grand opening begins Friday with a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Quinton Lucas and other city officials. At 3 p.m., there will be performances from musical artists such as Kadesh Flow, Eddie Moore and DJ Skeme.

Other revitalization projects in the 18th & Vine District include 2000 Vine St., which opened last year and is now home to Warren Harvey’s gallery; an apartment and retail development approved by the city last year; and restoration of the old Boone Theater at 1701 E. 18th St. and turning it into the Black Movie Hall of Fame — all ways to preserve the history of the area while creating something new.

Coleman thinks this is only the beginning of an opportunity to bring life back to a historic neighborhood.

“There are still a lot of vacancies and blight, but this is the start of setting the tone for what development should look like in a Black neighborhood,” says Coleman. “I am excited for this neighborhood, and it will be great for the district to show people what is possible with these buildings and the benefit of saving them.”

This story was originally published June 29, 2023, 5:30 AM.

J.M. Banks is The Star’s culture and identity reporter. He grew up in the Kansas City area and has worked in various community-based media outlets such as The Pitch KC and Urban Alchemy Podcast.