Dixie Brewing Company, founded 114 years ago in New Orleans, will be getting a new name following the murder of George Floyd and the nation-wide reckoning that ensued. The brewery’s owner, Gayle Benson, changed the business’ name to Faubourg Brewing Company in November 2020. On Wednesday, workers covered up the old Dixie name on the company’s famous tower.
In the coming weeks, Faubourg Beer will be available in stores with a new name. The company decided that “Dixie” was racist after customers complained following the national reckoning over the summer.
Upon hearing the news, brewery manager Jim Birch was ecstatic and gave an interview to The Times-Picayune.
“What this means is we’re in the final countdown to the official introduction of Faubourg,” Birch stated.
On March 22, 2021, the company officially changed its name and update all of its online materials accordingly. This includes social media handles and their website. Shoppers can expect to purchase cans of beer with the new name by May, while restaurants will receive deliveries of Faubourg kegs by the end of March.
The company’s website provided more information regarding their decision to remove “Dixie” from the name.
“We decided to retire the name ‘Dixie’ this past June, as the nation undertook critical conversations about social justice issues,” reads the company website. “Additionally, the community is at the heart of why we do what we do, and we thrive on the idea of our beer bringing people together. Our name must speak to the diversity of the city we call home as we encourage unity and inclusivity in New Orleans and across the country.”
The company began asking locals for name suggestions in Spring 2020 and received over 5,400 submissions.
The business decided on “Faubourg,” which is a French term “often interchangeably used with ‘neighborhood’”. The brewery felt that this could be a “unifying name that celebrates every corner of New Orleans.”
Gayle Benson, the owner of both the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, decided to rebrand her brewery last June. The brewery had originally shut down due to damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 but reopened later on.
After Benson’s husband, Tom, purchased the brewery in 2017, they worked together to revive it after years of turmoil.
“Since opening, the brewery has been extraordinarily successful in attracting thousands of people to visit New Orleans East and enjoy good food, great beer, and good company in a beautiful setting. We have been gratified to see the diversity of our customers who visit from all corners of New Orleans, our region, and from around the country,” Benson stated.
“We recognize, however, that our nation and community are currently engaged in critical conversations about racism and systemic social issues that have caused immeasurable pain and oppression of our black and brown communities.”
