The six-year-old Black Bourbon Society boasts 30,000 members and events across the country.

Brandy Collins
Brandy Collins is a freelance writer and public services advocate, born and raised in the Bay Area. She is a 2019-20 cohort graduate from the Maynard Institute for Journalism, a correspondent for Oakland Voices, a blogger, and the funny one in numerous group chats. She is concerned with civic engagement and leadership development toward making public works more efficient for the people. Brandy is full of Scorpio magic and a self-proclaimed Professional Aunty.
Oakland’s Black Bar Crawl brings costumed teams to Black-owned businesses
“If you are a person that enjoys a day party and getting back home before 10:30, this event should appeal to you.”
Black Restaurant Week returns to the East Bay
Over 50 restaurants across the Bay Area are participating in this year’s event.
Can the Inclusion Beer Project prompt real change at East Bay breweries?
Local craft breweries have announced a commitment to diversity and inclusion, but information on change can be hard to find.
Shop Talk: New furniture store is all about teak; Storey Framing to close
Teak Me Home, which sells handcrafted Indonesian teak wood furniture, has opened a location in West Berkeley.
Shop Talk: Eudemonia, hot spot for fantasy games, closes; sneaker store comes to Telegraph
Eudemonia, a popular tabletop card store that had been a refuge for Berkeley gamers of all ages, closed after 18 years.
Oakland’s first Black-owned brewery created a popcorn-packed beer to honor rap legend Shock G
A music icon, a community-focused brewery, and an established Oakland taproom teamed up to create a special tribute brew.
The Busy Wife hopes to make its pop-up at Dyafa a permanent affair
Chef Michauxnee Olier’s Creole soul food spot is a hidden-in-plain-sight gem in Jack London Square.
Soul Slice’s biscuit-crust pizzas push the boundaries of Southern food
Oakland’s newest pizza spot might not serve pizza after all.
Cal’s favorite fried chicken sandwich maker is uplifted by students’ support
Pinky & Red’s is facing an uncertain future as its owner Bernadine “Pinky” Sewell undergoes colon cancer treatment and her lease with UC Berkeley ended.
Magnolia Street Wine Lounge opens its doors in West Oakland with community in mind
Chef Leilani Baugh returns to her childhood neighborhood with her signature Southern-Asian comfort food, a diversity of wines and a strong Oakland spirit and hustle.
These East Bay coffee businesses say equity and diversity shouldn’t be an afterthought
High-end coffee companies that prioritize equity on a global level are looking closer to home to resolve racial bias in the coffee world.