Time was running out. Dennis Guy’s mother, Denise Peace, was extremely ill.
He needed a business loan to boost his company. But this was about more than the money. He wanted his mother to know her son was following his dream. She always told him the sky was the limit.
“I met with the URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority). I kept contacting them and telling them I needed the (loan) approval before my mom passed,” said Guy of the West End. “I got the approval … and a few days later she passed. … It was as if God wanted us to share one last memory.”
Peace died of lung cancer in December 2018.
Her influence lives on in her son’s business, First Sip Brew Box. It’s a craft beer media company whose monthly subscription or one-time gift box connects enthusiasts with collaborating breweries.
Every month, a different brewery is featured. Beer isn’t shipped; instead the boxes are loaded with beer-related gear from glasses and stickers to T-shirts and soap. The original business plan included sending actual beer, but that would have required $250,000 to $500,000 just to start.
Courtesy of Dennis Guy
First Sip Brew Box is a craft beer media company that uses a monthly subscription or one-time gift box for craft beer enthusiasts through collaborating with breweries locally and across the country.
“We faced a lot of obstacles trying to get that type of capital, so we knew if we wanted to penetrate the craft beer industry, we would have to do something that has never been done before. We created First Sip Brew Box,” said Guy. He owns the business with his wife, Sammie. They started the company in 2016. It became a full-time job in December 2018.
Guy’s video about his mother’s influence was recognized by the Craft Beer Marketing Awards in the Best Original Video Storytelling category for “Fearless.”
“My mom encouraged me to follow my dream,” Guy said. “And because of her, I did. She knew I wanted to own my own business, and she’s watching over me now.”
First Sip Brew Box, based in East Liberty, has shipped to 40 states, 170 cities and five countries. Part of the experience includes video tours of breweries. They used to do them in person, but now use Zoom to create the platform because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In collaboration
Guy, who grew up in New Kensington, recently shared his experience with racism on a video. He said he wanted to focus on empathy and understanding, not hate.
“Know that our country is not set up to help end racism. That is why the pot is boiling over now. But together we can make lasting change,” Guy said. “Do not let this be a moment in time or the flavor of the month, we must keep this conversation going.”
His next collaboration is with the “Black Is Beautiful” campaign. First Sip Brew Box was invited by Couch Brewery in the East End to be involved in the brewing process and help spread the message, along with Abjuration Brewing in McKees Rocks, where 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to a local charity.
“This is a collaborative effort to raise awareness for the injustices that people of color face daily,” he said. “And to raise funds for police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact JoAnne at 724-853-5062, jharrop@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Categories: East End | Food & Drink | Top Stories | Valley News Dispatch | West End
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