On a recent Wednesday evening, Leon Loza Jr. slit open a bag of freshly baled Citra hops from Loza Farms and pulled out a handful of the delicate cones, rubbing them together to release their sharp, tangy scent.

Then, he turned to a group of watchful brewers and doled out another handful.

At first glance, the group isn’t that different from the hundreds of other brewers that visit the Yakima Valley each September for annual hop selection events. But ask them, and they’ll be proud to tell you they’re award recipients with the Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling. In the world of craft beer — which remains an overwhelmingly white, male industry — that’s no small distinction.

The Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling, or MJF, is a New York City-

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