Ray Charles’s impact has reverberated through culture for more than five decades, and Kevin Johnson understands this better than anybody.
The NBA legend, 55th mayor of Sacrameto, CA, and owner of Fixins Soul Kitchen in LA recently announced a new collaboration with The Ray Charles Foundation to release a limited edition Free Of Alcohol (FOA) brew celebrating the genius Ray Charles.
According to a news release shared with ESSENCE, the special edition brew will be available during a limited-time pop-up Fixins Soul Kitchen, located at Downtown Los Angeles’ L.A. LIVE, from February 23 – March 31. It can also be ordered online.
“To be affiliated in any way with Ray Charles is an honor, but to have our restaurant and brewery collaborate on a unique beer depicting Mr. Charles’ images on can labels is truly special. February 23rd will be a day to remember,” said Kevin Johnson of Fixins and Peoples Beer.
According to the organization, the brew is both a dedication to a legendary artist and an opportunity to eduate people about his life and music.
“For Kevin, Peoples Beer and Fixins is about craft, heritage and commerce,” Valerie Ervin, president of The Ray Charles Foundation said in a news release. “This combination ensures success. For Ray Charles, this was at the core of his belief system.”
Oak Park Brewing Co. revived the Peoples Beer brand in 2020 to honor the legacy of Mr. Theodore Mack Sr., the first African American to own and operate a brewery in America. The company released its “Icon Line” in 2021, which is a range of beers to honor African American heroes of past, present and future. These figures included Sammy Davis Jr., James Baldwin, Ella Baker, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Booker T. Washington, Bessie Coleman, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Fred Hampton Jr.
Added to the lineup is the musical genius Ray Charles, whose career spans more than 50 years.