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Haymarket’s Brew Day with Jay West and Sam Ross A Conversation about Industry’s Lack of Diversity, a New Ale and a special Brew in honor of the Chicago Defender.

THE CHICAGO DEFENDER — Harold’s ’83 Honey Ale will be available at Haymarket Pub & Brewery. Haymarket offers a variety of innovative house ales and lagers, including an award-winning stout, to honor the historic African American publication, the Chicago Defender newspaper. “We named the beer to pay homage to this long-standing circular,” says Haymarket Head Brewer Pete Crowley. “Most of our beer names are of historical significance to Chicago…” Stay tuned for more details about the release of Sam Ross’s and Jay West’s Harold’s ’83 Honey Ale. Haymarket Pub and Brewery is located at 737 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, 60661.

Published

7 years ago

March 12, 2020

Oakland Post

By Kelly Washington, The Chicago Defender

The Defender Beer 2014 Award.jpg

Chicago and the country have experienced an enormous craft beer boom in recent years. Although craft brewing is a booming industry, with diverse offerings in classic lagers and ales, there is a stunning lack of diversity as it pertains to African-Americans in the brewing industry. The Brewers Association put out a benchmarking survey in 2018 on brewery owners and employee diversity. This survey showed that only 1% of independent breweries in the U.S. were owned by Blacks or African Americans. In addition, less than 1% of brewers in the U.S. were Black or African American. Jay West and Sam Ross approached Haymarket Pub & Brewery to create a beer that would help to raise awareness of the lack of diversity in the brewing industry and begin a conversation about diversity in the craft beer community.

Kelly Washington (KW) – Tell me more about your project.

Jay West (JW) – When I was approached with this project, I knew Sam Ross was the one to join me in this journey. It is a shared dream that we did not realize was a shared dream at the time. We wanted this beer to be very Chicago. We also knew how much African Americans consumed beer, however, from the manufacturing to the selling; we are not represented in this industry.

Sam Ross (SR) – The style of beer that we are making is not very common. I wanted us to stand out. We wanted this to be a solid beer for solid beer drinkers of all kinds. We wanted our brand to be unapologetically Midwest and unapologetically urban.

KW: You said you want your beer to be “very Chicago.” Tell me more about your ale, and where the ingredients are being sourced from.

SR: It is going to be a honey ale! Not many Chicago breweries are working with honey. Working with that ingredient is another whole process. We wanted locally sourced honey. We reached out to Sweet Beginnings, a company in North Lawndale, which produces a line of all natural, raw honey products. Sweet Beginnings is a company that has turned an undevelopable plot of land near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport into a thriving business by employing many former convicts, a segment of the population that often faces significant barriers to employment.

JW: We want to keep our beer local and, at the same time, give back to the community and help those that are ignored and underserved. We also want to educate them on this industry.

KW: The Brewer’s Association benchmarking survey suggests that African Americans own less than 1% of independent breweries. What do you see as the issue, and what can companies do to increase the visibility of more African American workers in this industry?

SR: This industry blew up in 2015! No one was prepared to start training brewers. Assistant brewers became brewers, and brewers became brew owners. Breweries are hiring like crazy, but 80% of those jobs are rarely posted due to nepotism. This industry is heavy on that practice. It also takes a lot of money to learn how to brew, so that is another barrier for African Americans. The guys at Haymarket taking time to show us this process means everything. The industry needs to take chances. Take a calculated risk.

KW: How do you two plan to use your new roles to improve the industry?

JW: I will use my platform to reach out to other people of color and educate them on this industry, and bring them on this journey. Some people took chances on me, and I want to pay that forward. This is the first time Sam is hearing this, but the education he bestowed upon me is profound. I am a better person, a better brewer, and a better conveyor of what this game can bring to the community.

SR: The best way for me is to use my role is by utilizing social media. That is how I will get our message across. I have a blog called “The Brother at the Bar.” I want us to connect through our love and knowledge of beer. Social media is an excellent vessel for that. I am in love with the craft beer world, and I want people who look like me to love it and have a great experience as well.

KW: Drumroll!!! What is the name of your ale?

JW: The name of the beer is Harold’s ’83 Honey. The name itself is paying homage to the first Black mayor of Chicago, Harold Washington. We are also tipping our hats to another Chicago institution, Harold’s Chicken. That is what we mean when we say we want our brand to be unapologetically Chicago and urban. Clearly, we want to highlight the lack of diversity, the best way to do that is to get someone’s attention, and that is what the name does. It says Chicago. It says Black Chicago.

SR: The number ‘83 is the year he (Harold Washington) became mayor. Harold’s Chicken is in Atlanta now, and that is another one of the ways we can expand our reach. We want our consumers to drink Harold’s ‘83 Honey Ale with their order of chicken, with mild sauce!

KW: That sounds like a delicious pairing!

JW: It is also an attention grabber. We want you to open a dialogue on why there is a steep lack of diversity in this game. We want you to have a beer, but we want you to have a conversation. The more that we have conversations like this, the more we can progress together.

KW: Where will you be marketing and selling Harold’s ‘83 Honey Ale?

JW: There are nine African American owned places with liquor licenses in this vast city. That is another issue within itself. I doubt that any of them will refuse this beer because it is going to be amazing! We will enlist them to help us get the word out about our ale and awareness about the lack of diversity in the brewing industry.

SR: Just being able to have our beer at an established place such as Haymarket is great. People travel from all over to come and see this place. People will come from all over to have a good beer.

Harold’s ’83 Honey Ale will be available at Haymarket Pub & Brewery. Haymarket offers a variety of innovative house ales and lagers, including an award-winning stout, to honor the historic African American publication, the Chicago Defender newspaper. “We named the beer to pay homage to this long-standing circular,” says Haymarket Head Brewer Pete Crowley. “Most of our beer names are of historical significance to Chicago…” Stay tuned for more details about the release of Sam Ross’s and Jay West’s Harold’s ’83 Honey Ale. Haymarket Pub and Brewery is located at 737 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, 60661.

The post Haymarket’s Brew Day with Jay West and Sam Ross A Conversation about Industry’s Lack of Diversity, a New Ale and a special Brew in honor of the Chicago Defender. appeared first on Chicago Defender.

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

1 month ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.