Peter Hemings, an Enslaved Master Brewer

Beer featued in most meals at Monticello, possibly served in small silver vessels known today as "Jefferson Cups." But where did the beer come from? What was it like? And who made it? In this episode of In the Course of Human Events, Andrew Davenport, Monticello Public Historian and Manager of the Getting Word African American Oral History Project, shares how an English brewer's fraught sea voyage led to Peter Hemings—an enslaved Monticello cook of "great intelligence and diligence"—becoming an accomplished brewer whose beer was the envy of the neighborhood. Joining him in this episode are Holly Haliniewski, a tour guide at Monticello, and Dr. J. Jackson-Beckham, Principal of Crafted for All, LLC, a professional development platform that helps craft beverage organizations become more inclusive, equitable, and just.