Whitteney Guyton, co-owner of 1865 Brewing Co.
When someone asks Whitteney Guyton why it matters that she and business partner William “Billy” Comer II are opening 1865 Brewing Co., the first Black-owned brewery in the Hampton Roads area, she responds without hesitation: “It matters because we are underrepresented.”
Set to open in January in Hampton near Fort Monroe, 1865 Brewing Co. will be a rare and long overdue addition to the brewery landscape of the country. Out of the 8,000 breweries across the nation, less than 1% are Black-owned.
“In the beer and liquor industry particularly, I think so many of us don’t even know we can be in this industry,” Guyton says. “I do it for the kids that look like me, so they see they can do it, too.”
A Chicagoan who relocated to Hampton Roads to attend Norfolk State University, Guyton says jokingly, “I must be close to retiring. I always said when I retired, I would open up my own bar … and if you wanted to do business with me, you’d have to come see me there.”
“There” is 9 S. Mallory St. in Phoebus. Graduating with a degree in mental health therapy, Guyton, 39, owns a slew of successful health care companies throughout the Hampton Roads region. While working on a forthcoming project, she met Comer, a building contractor, through his business, B & B Contracting. Their bond was instantaneous, and one she describes as “cosmic.”
"We just gelled," she says. "He's been like my brother ever since."
The feeling is echoed by Norfolk native Comer, 42. “She’s kind of the woman version of me, and I think that had a lot to do with it in terms of chemistry,” he says.
William “Billy” Comer II, co-owner of 1865 Brewing Co.
Both are entrepreneurs, and when Comer learned that the building originally slated to open as Traffic Brewing had become vacant, he scheduled a time for them to look at the space. When they stepped inside, they saw possibilities.
“I thought, ‘This is something I can sink my teeth into,’ ” Guyton says. “This sparked every sense of adventure in me. I felt this synergy and kinetic energy, and I had to be a part of it.”
Although they are well-versed in business and has what she describes as a knack for hiring, until recently, beer was unexplored territory for the team.
“Beer is new to us, but we have a love for it now,” says Guyton, who has become a self-proclaimed beer nerd, adding books to her collection and studying different flavor profiles, styles and brewing techniques.
The brewing side of operations will be led by brewmaster Randy Jones, formerly of Palisade Brewing Co. and Black Sky Brewery in Colorado. And while 1865 Brewing plans to make history by debuting the first Black-owned brewery in Hampton Roads, it also plans to make a splash with its signature product, a “Brixzter.”
Describing the beer-meets-spritzer libation as effervescent and flavorful, Guyton says they have built a custom machine to make the beverage, and that the “brix” in the name refers to the unit used to measure dissolved sugar levels in liquids.
Discovered during construction, bottles from the Prohibition era will be on display.
She adds that beer drinkers can find a little bit of everything on draft, and that the inclusivity in terms of selection is reflective of the environment they are trying to create.
“I don’t care how old you are, what color you are … the vibe when you come in will be comfortable and make you feel wanted and welcomed,” says Guyton, whose wife, Darmeshia, is the interior designer for the venture, blending rustic and contemporary styles.
Also on deck at 1865 Brewing Co. is a coffee shop and a neighboring distillery, complete with a full kitchen and lounge. The duo wants to cultivate a destination that attracts people from up and down the East Coast.
When asked how it feels to be on the forefront of a major venture as a Black business owner, Comer responds, “Exhilarating. It's one of those things like, ‘OK, you didn’t notice me before, but you notice me now, I have your attention,’ and that’s a long time coming.”
And while the year 1865 is a nod to the history surrounding the brewery’s location and the end of the Civil War, for Comer and Guyton, it signifies a beginning.
“For us, [our tagline] ‘freedom starts here’ is so much more than the Civil War or the freedom of one person, but the freedom of all,” Guyton says. “We want you to come in and say, ‘Hey, this is a good start for my week, my day, at least I can put that aside.’ ”
Guyton adds proudly that she and Comer aren’t just attaching their names to a product or project — they’re fully dedicated to 1865 Brewing Co.
“We’re all in,” she says. “We’re part of history, our name is historical, and where we are in this moment is history, too.”
