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Beer Talk, by Womxn: State of Craft Beer Panel Discussion

All too often, womxn in the beer industry are asked to speak solely about being womxn... in the beer industry.

I recently had the pleasure of listening to several incredibly intelligent, insightful and well spoken womxn in craft, discuss where craft beer is headed in 2019. Lead & monerated by Alyssa Pereira who writes for SF Chronicle & Good Beer Hunting sat along side of several ladies who hold a variety of positions in the industry.

The conversation took off and several topics came up: the true definition of craft beer, sourcing supplies, good vs bad gmo, the importance of educating people about macro brands and fake craft, how different the industry is now vs “then”, how brewing good beer and hoping for organic growth isn’t enough to survive anymore, styles, judging, and much more.

I sat sipping a New Helles in awe wondering, will I ever get to that place? As a female who owns a taproom and has worked in the industry for a while, I am constantly trying to soak up all the knowledge I can to keep evolving and I know that I will forever be learning about beer & business. It was so refreshing to listen & learn from someone other than a white male's perspective.

Lately I’ve been questioning myself a bit. Why am I letting past experiences get in the way of me being confident with my beer knowledge?  Several instances stick out in my mind, and the common denominator? Being belittled and mansplated to and I need to learn how to let those things go. That's on me. I’m tired of having to “prove something” because I am a female in the industry. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t happen regularly for me personally anymore. I have several amazing male friends in the industry who aren’t “those guys” it’s usually ignorant customers, and the random self proclaimed “beer geek”. Working through this for me, and breaking the mold is something that I really want to focus on for myself this year. With a new craft beer venture on my horizon, I cannot let bullshit like this hold me back any longer.

All this to say, I left the discussion feeling so empowered, inspired, and grateful.

They gave me the spark I needed to really give everything I’ve let rattle around my head THE BIG fuck you, that I needed to move forward. And for that, I have to thank these badass womxn for their time, insight, and knowledge.


(And in case you're curious, that 'x' in ‘womxn’ is no typo—it's our low key way of striving for inclusion and acknowledging that gender ain't binary.) - Temescal

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