Ladies of Craft Beer

Posted By: CPortner

1. What was your first beer experience?

I grew up in Northern England, where you can start drinking a little earlier than here in the US! I had my first pint of beer when I was somewhere around 15. I remember sitting in a pub’s garden drinking some sort of bitter and thinking it was weeeird!

2. If you brew/homebrew, what or who inspired you to start brewing? What do you do in the industry and what or who inspired you to get into it?

I co-founded Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project with my husband Dann Paquette. He has been a professional brewer for 20 years, so he was the one who got me into it! Nowadays, I spend my time assistant brewing, doing our logistics (figuring out orders and pick ups/deliveries), doing the artwork for our brand with Dann, formulating new beers, figuring out how to make our existing beers better, and generally managing our company.

3. What is your favorite beer to brew and why? What is your favorite beer to drink and why?

My favorite to brew is probably Jack D’Or, because Jack is a constant work for us: we’re always tweaking the recipe and the brewsheet. I love to brew Babayaga too though, because I smoke the malt, and I like producing that flavor and instantly getting it into the mill. My favorites to drink are really any of our own beers because they provoke so much thinking and discovery: I know exactly what went into them so it gives you a very close relationship to the end product, but also my all-time fave is Old Peculiar from Theakstons’ brewery in Yorkshire, England, pulled from an oak cask. Preferably in a pub with some gamboling lambs nearby!

4. What is/was your favorite beer event to attend, and why?

Well, I have to say NERAX (the New England Real Ale eXhibition), because I met Dann there and found myself a brewer, a husband and a business all in one night! But honestly I also love the ACBF run by Beer Advocate. The excitement that builds up at that festival is really really fun!

5. Have you taken any tasting and/or brewing courses? What are your thoughts on such courses?

Learning is a great thing in my book. I read anything I can. I’m going to go to a UCDavis brewing course in 2012. Go for it, I say!

6. What advice do you have for anyone interested in getting into your aspect of the beer industry?

Well, my aspect is pretty mad: you could start a brewery, or work for one in any number of roles. I think for budding brewers or assistant brewers, the best thing you can do is understand the relationship between the raw materials available and the beers and flavors they produce. That is something that only experience can teach you: as I am constantly aware of working with Dann! So, in other words: brew, and drink beer as much as possible! And stay humble. Don’t judge other brewers. Everyone’s in this together.

And if you are interested in co-owning a brewery, be ready to fly by the seat of your pants and exercise your cheeks – you will be smiling…A LOT!

7. What beer would you want to brew/ want to see brewed?

We have a few beers tucked away in our imaginations that we are dying to brew. We can’t brew them all at once, so we are biding our time. Every beer idea improves with experience, so I’m cool with saving some up for the future.

8. What has been your hardest challenge in the industry? What has been your greatest success?

Well, starting a business with $9,000 and somehow making that work out is certainly the biggest, and ongoing, challenge. It’s also our greatest success. No matter what happens in the future, I am incredibly proud and happy of what we have achieved so far with Pretty Things. Because it’s fun, and beer should be fun. So that’s good.

9. Tell us your most fun beer story.

The Shelton Brothers were the first distributors for Pretty Things Ale & Beer Project and typically when kegs were picked up, we didn’t always know where they would end up. (Still don’t, actually!) One day, we got stuck in Amsterdam after our flight was delayed so we headed out drinking. A new beer bar had a shipment of US beers just arrive and the owner asked us to take a look and see what he had – low and behold a keg of Jack D’Or was among the bunch! That was crazy.

10. What is your take on the craft beer industry? What is your favorite thing about it? What could stand improvement?

The craft beer industry is a uniquely collaborative scene. The people in it are amongst the most creative and open people I’ve encountered. Sometimes I wonder how anyone makes it in this industry, but the fact that we can all work together to improve craft beer is the best thing we have going for us. It’s about the journey, people!!

Related Posts:

• Women in Beer Series – Ashley Rose Salvitti
• Women in Beer Series – Hanna Laney
• Women in Beer Series – Kelly McKnight
• Women in Beer Series – Megan Parisi
• Women in Beer Series – Karen Walker, Colette Johnson and Krista Homiak

Posted By: Stevie Caldarola

As the president of Ladies of Craft Beer, I get the pleasure of meeting many amazing women who are a part of the craft beer industry. Each woman has great stories and amazing insight into the world of craft beer. This has inspired me to start a “Women in Beer” interview series. Whether brewing, blogging, selling, marketing, or advocating craft beer, women from all over the industry will answer the following ten questions to share with your their thoughts and experiences with craft beer. I hope that these little glimpses into the minds of these great women will inspire you.

Cheers!

Audra Marotta is the Financial Advisor at the North Carolina Brewers Guild and managing partner at Violent Orchid, LLC, among her many other hats.

1. What was your first beer experience?

Having emigrated from Eastern Europe to the United States, my parents have always been huge European lager fans. As I was growing up in the 80s, I remember our refrigerator being regularly stocked with Beck’s (and occasionally Heineken). We had a tradition that when my mother made homemade pizza, my parents would have several beers, and we kids would be allowed soda. This was a treat, as we were rarely allowed to consume anything with artificial colors/flavors. One pizza night I asked my dad for a sip of his beer. Surely, since my parents were enjoying it, it had to be great, right? I believe my face gave away what I thought of the shock of bitter hops. This was NOT what I had expected! Those pesky hops kept me away from beer for most of the rest of my adolescence. Who knew I’d grow up to become a hophead?

2. If you brew/homebrew, what or who inspired you to start brewing? What do you do in the industry and what or who inspired you to get into it?

My husband and I homebrew together – he is the brewmaster in charge of the mechanics, and I offer my input on hop profiles and ingredients. My mother inspired me to brew, since she makes her own mead and krupnikas, a Lithuanian spiced clover honey liqueur that my younger brother says tastes like a Christmas tree. My father has made his own wine, and my brother makes his own cider. I guess we are a family meant to brew as hobbyists!

I provide accounting, financial information systems, operational reporting, and marketing management guidance to the craft brewing community. I serve as a fractional CFO, an accounting specialist, focused on helping craft brewers grow their top line while optimizing their triple bottom line. Understanding a craft brewer’s limited resources, my business is focused on providing C-level direction without the financial burden of C-level salary. One day I’ll be working on compensation planning for one brewer, then the next I’ll be building a costing template for another. My work serving as Controller at Dogfish Head inspired me to kick off this venture. I learned an immense amount about the industry and met many, many industry folks while working at Dogfish. For this I am grateful; I want to continue ensuring craft brewers have an accounting/information systems infrastructure in place that will pave the way for expected exponential growth.

3. What is your favorite beer to brew and why? What is your favorite beer to drink and why?

We love brewing double IPAs, as perfecting a mix of bittering, flavoring and aroma hops is a challenge in both the arts and sciences. As the boil pot cools in 40 lbs. of ice on a bamboo cutting board in our master bath garden tub, it makes our bedroom and bathroom smell like heaven for at least 12 hours.

We love drinking DIPAs, which is why we homebrew them! To this day, Dark Horse Brewing’s Double Crooked Tree is my favorite craft-brewed DIPA. It has such an orgasmic floral, citrus aroma, and the hops linger on my tongue without being bitterly overpowering. It sets the DIPA bar for me.

4. What is/was your favorite beer event to attend, and why?

I love World Beer Fest Durham, as North Carolina brewers bring their A-game to this event and offer rare, one-off beers that oftentimes earn top honors at the World Beer Cup, Great American Beer Fest and the Carolina Championship of Beer. It also serves as a fabulous opportunity to connect and engage with the brewers who create these beers.

5. Have you taken any tasting and/or brewing courses? What are your thoughts on such courses?

I’ve taken the Cicerone Off-Flavors course taught by Ray Daniels and believe such educational classes are beneficial and essential for catapulting the craft beer movement forward. I am also helping the North Carolina Brewers Guild by spearheading educational programming initiatives for our craft beer community. Our first event saw six of our most highly-rated brewers come together on a panel to discuss recipe development.

6. What advice do you have for anyone interested in getting into your aspect of the beer industry?

If you’re a college student majoring in accounting or finance, propose a summer internship at a brewery in exchange for beer. If there is a brewers’ guild in your state, volunteer to help with their financials. Since craft brewing is a specialized, unique niche within the food/beverages industry, expect to spend a significant amount of time studying the beer landscape, the players, the brewing process, pricing, TTB reporting, and distribution channels, as well as building relationships, on your own and often outside of normal work hours. Most brewers don’t have training programs that cover these aspects; thus, to add value, the fire and initiative to learn has to come from within your own heart.

7. What beer would you want to brew/ want to see brewed?

I would love to homebrew a black cherry chocolate stout or a black cherry lambic. As far as others brewing, Carlyle Brewing in Rockford, IL makes a fantastic black walnut sweet stout. I have yet to find one anywhere near /available in North Carolina. I’m convinced the world would be a better place with a greater number of black walnut stouts, though I’d probably gain a few pounds. Okay, probably more than a few.

8. What has been your hardest challenge in the industry? What has been your greatest success?

Each state has its own set of distinct rules and reporting requirements. It takes a lot of time to learn these in order to provide appropriate guidance. The compliance aspects of this industry are rife with complexity and oftentimes inefficiency, not unlike working within the rulebooks of any governmental agency.

Being able to work with so many people collaboratively, cultivating and strengthening relationships, the knowledge exchange resulting from those who have served in the craft beer industry for decades, and providing information to tee craft brewers up for future growth has been so rewarding. I consider myself successful only when others succeed. There is no better feeling than a brewer approaching me months later at a beer festival just to say ‘thank you’.

9. Tell us your most fun beer story.

In 2009 my husband and I flew to Seattle for a week’s vacation. We had booked a rental car for the week, as well as our first night’s stay at the airport, since we got into Sea-Tac somewhere around 3am Eastern. We had no other planned itinerary. We spent the week driving in a large counter-clockwise circle through the northern part of Washington and the Cascades and southern part of British Columbia, including Vancouver. If there was a brewery or brewpub along the way, we’d stop for a flight and conversation. I have no idea how many stops we made in total, but we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to sample beers from Black Raven, SteamWorks, Anacortes, nor Chuckanut any other way. It was a week of exploring scenic beauty and craft beer in a part of the country neither of us had previously been. We were following Mark Twain’s advice: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

10. What is your take on the craft beer industry? What is your favorite thing about it? What could stand improvement?

This is such an exciting time for the craft beer industry, as it’s full of promise, possibility, and opportunity for those dedicated to pursuing their passion. My favorite thing about it is sharing conversation over a pint and learning the stories behind the beer from those who brewed it. Eyes seem to always light up when one recalls the first time he/she brewed a smoked porter or how a mistake in a recipe took the beer for an unexpected turn. This isn’t some nameless, faceless liquid in that tulip glass in front of you….it’s a brewer’s expression of creativity and craft. It’s art.

I wish a greater number of brewers would pay closer attention to their administrative functions to ensure they grow sustainably. Too often they allow sales and production to control every aspect of their business, when information systems, financial reporting, and cash flow management should share the stage. I cringe mentally when I hear a brewer is growing his/her operations 50-80% year-over-year but has no idea what a brand of beer costs to produce, nor if documented records of quality checks exist. I’m hoping to propel this shift of focus when I present at the Craft Brewers Conference in San Francisco in March 2011. Be the change you want to see, right?

Have a question? Email me here:[contact-form 6 "Untitled"]

Originally posted 2010-11-29 09:05:15.

Posted By: Stevie Caldarola

It’s back! We’ve had a bit of a hiatus from this interview series, but I am excited to announce its return, due to popular demand!

As the president of Ladies of Craft Beer, I get the pleasure of meeting many amazing women who are a part of the craft beer industry. Each woman has great stories and amazing insight into the world of craft beer. This has inspired me to start a “Women in Beer” interview series. Whether brewing, blogging, selling, marketing, or advocating craft beer, women from all over the industry will answer the following ten questions to share with your their thoughts and experiences with craft beer. I hope that these little glimpses into the minds of these great women will inspire you.

If you know or have heard of a woman in the craft beer community that you think deserves to be highlighted in this series, please send me your suggestion(s).

Cheers!

~~~~~

Ashley Rose Salvitti is the owner of Brewvana: Portland Brewery Tours in Portland, Oregon. 

Ashley at Upright on a tour

1. What was your first beer experience?

I’ve always been spoiled with great beer. In high school my Dad had the fridge stocked with Dogfish Head and growlers from the local brewery. When I was old enough to serve beer, he encouraged me to get a job at the brewery in the neighboring town and so I did. It was then that I began drinking craft beer almost everyday, and my love has grown from there.

2. What do you do in the beer industry?

After serving delicious craft beer for over 10 years, I decided to take my passion for beer to the next level by creating the Ultimate Beer Tour Experience in Portland, Oregon. My title is Beer Lover, and Owner of Brewvana: Portland Brewery Tours. Being a Brewvana Tour Guide is the funnest job ever- I get to hang out with people that are having a great time and talk about beer!!!! It allows me to share what I know and love about beer: the brewing process and the history and culture of the brewing industry in Portland with the world. The business aspect of Brewvana is a different story. I’m learning.

3. If you homebrew, what is your favorite beer to brew and why? What is your favorite beer to drink and why?

Ashley at Louisville Beer Festival in Kentucky

I’ve only brewed beer once during Brewvana’s Fresh HOP Tour. First we went to Goschie Farms and met Gayle Goschie and got a tour of her Hop Farm, and Hop House. She gave us 2 huge bags of hops to take back to Portland to brew with. We stopped for lunch at Seven Brides Brewery, where we got a brewery tour from one of the owners, and then we went back to Portland U Brew to brew our first ever beer. I named it: Brewvana’s Fresh HOP Complete Hoppiness IPA. I had to cater to the NW beer drinkers by brewing a super hoppy beer. We dry hopped it with dried whole flower nugget hops. It was Ah-mazing! I almost didn’t believe that the beer I was tasting was the beer that I brewed. I haven’t brewed since, but I would like to soon!!!

My favorite beer to drink is the one I’ve been waiting a long time for…. like the one I get to drink after work! I’m much better at my job when I’m sober, but after talking about beer all day, I get REALLY thirsty. My favorite beer to drink is after an amazing tour.

4. What is/was your favorite beer event to attend, and why?

Ashley and best friend Liv

The best beer event I’ve attended was the Louisville Beer Festival. The reason it stands out to me is because it was a gift from my best friend Liv, and also because I was there with her, my boyfriend Jason and my Dad. Three people that are very important to me in my life that I don’t spend a lot of time with year round. Add beer to the mix and I’m a SUPER happy girl! PLUS, it was when I discovered pretzel necklaces for the first time! Now I hand make one for each person that comes on my tour!

5. Have you taken any tasting and/or brewing courses? What are your thoughts on such courses?

Nope: but I teach them! On each of my tours I lead a brief Beer 101 where I talk about the ingredients in beer and the brewing process on a very basic level. I pass out Beer Journals that includes
some tasting tips, helpful hints on food and beer pairings, beer terminology and more. I include some words that can be used to describe beer, and remind them that theres NO wrong way to drink beer…. except to spit it out!!!! I make it easy for the novice to understand, and create an environment where they feel comfortable talking about beer. I think educating people is an important component of the Ultimate Beer Tour Experience.

6. What advice do you have for anyone interested in getting into your aspect of the beer industry?

Being a Beer Tour Guide is the FUNNEST job ever. And if you aren’t having fun, you’re doing it wrong! Enjoy every second of it. If you are starting your own brewery tour business, please remember that it is a LOT of

The boys and the hop princess

work. If you have a life that you care about (family, friends, kids), be ready to give them up. This WILL be YOUR newborn baby that you cannot prepare for, or care more about. If you have the passion, then GO for it! Best of luck if you do decide to, keep on keeping on, and call me if you need me. Just don’t do it in Portland.

7. What beer would you want to brew/ want to see brewed?

Hmmm.. Thats a good question. Everyone’s done all the cool stuff before. Burnside just did a Peanut Butter Cup beer that was delicious!! I don’t know. A chick pea beer? Like… hummus beer? That would be weird, but awesome.

8. What has been your hardest challenge in the industry? What has been your greatest success?

The most difficult challenge has been getting people on my bus. I knew when I started Brewvana that I had a great thing going on, and everyone should HOP on the bus because it’s so much fun. But if no one knows about it, no one gets on the bus and you fail. Spreading the word, putting myself out there, and introducing people to Brewvana- marketing has been my biggest challenge. Greatest success: taking what I love to do and making it my job. It’s really cool to be doing something totally fun that you’re really good at as well as to know that you created that job for yourself! I took that idea and I made it a reality. That’s pretty awesome… that’s my biggest success.

Tour group and bus after a successful tour

9. Tell us your most fun beer story.

My most fun beer story is probably on Brewvana’s Inaugural Tour when we hijacked the beer goddess on our 2nd stop. I was happy at first just to run into her on our special day. There she was sitting at the bar when we walked in! I gave her a great big hug and introduced her to the guests on the tour. As we were leaving, we yelled out the window for her to HOP on… and she did!!!! My hero, Lisa Morrisson aka The Beer Goddess rode with us to the Laurelwood where we had lunch, as she read us stories from her book Craft Beer’s of the Pacific Northwest. Shane Watterson put on the HOP hat for the occasion and head brewer Chad Kennedy invited us into the cooler for a special tasting of 3 different super special release beers. I wasn’t even drinking and I was having the time of my life!! The inaugural tour ended in Lisa Morrison’s kitchen, as she poured me a Workhorse IPA off of one of her kitchen taps. I couldn’t be more happy.

10. What is your take on the craft beer industry? What is your favorite thing about it? What could stand improvement?

The craft beer industry is booming and such an amazing thing to be a part of. My favorite thing about the industry are the people. The enthusiasm, the cooperation, the encouragement, creativity, open-mindedness, friendliness, willingness, devotedness and love that goes into the craft makes this industry so much fun to be a part of!

Related Posts:

• Women in Beer Series – Martha Holley-Paquette
• Women in Beer Series – Hanna Laney
• Women in Beer Series – Kelly McKnight
• Women in Beer Series – Megan Parisi
• Women in Beer Series – Karen Walker, Colette Johnson and Krista Homiak

Posted By: Stevie Caldarola

As the president of Ladies of Craft Beer, I get the pleasure of meeting many amazing women who are a part of the craft beer industry. Each woman has great stories and amazing insight into the world of craft beer. This has inspired me to start a “Women in Beer” interview series. Whether brewing, blogging, selling, marketing, or advocating craft beer, women from all over the industry will answer the following ten questions to share with your their thoughts and experiences with craft beer. I hope that these little glimpses into the minds of these great women will inspire you.

Cheers!

Melissa Ward is a contributor for Ladies of Craft Beer and an avid homebrewer.

1. What was your first beer experience?

My VERY first was most likely when I took a sip of my dad’s macro lite-beer and I spit it out in the driveway around age 12. My first CRAFT beer experience that I can remember would be the Cherry Wheat from Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant in Media, at their annual brewfest. So good.

2. If you brew/homebrew, what or who inspired you to start brewing? If not, what do you do in the industry and what or who inspired you to get into it?

My husband Ray and I began brewing because his sister and brother-in-law are hardcore into it, with the intention of opening a brewpub eventually. We watched them on a brew day, and then for Christmas one year they bought us the “nice-to-have” equipment that most first-time homebrewers don’t buy for themselves when starting out. Because I’m a baker and Ray’s a science-guy and we both love to cook, brewing just seemed like the right hobby to share.

3. What is your favorite beer to brew and why? What is your favorite beer to drink and why?

That’s like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. I enjoy brewing beers that have a lot going on—it keeps the brew day exciting. My favorite recipe that I’ve written is for our Bee Sting Ale, a hybrid pale ale. So delicious and refreshing.

As for drinking, I love pale ales and IPAs for the spring and summer. In the fall and winter I look forward to the seasonals, imperial stouts and anything big and bold that will keep me warm.

4. What is/was your favorite beer event to attend, and why?

This year we made it to GABF for the first time and LOVED it! We went with the goal to ONLY try beers we never had before. What a great experience. We enjoy going to SAVOR as well, but I think deep down, the Brandywine Craft Brewers’ Festival will always be my favorite—it was my first major introduction to craft beer by Ray, and I had an amazing time. We’ve gone every year since then (back in 2007) and have an awesome time.

5. Have you taken any tasting and/or brewing courses? What are your thoughts on such courses?

No courses, but we do read publications like Zymurgy and Brew Your Own, and we have a number of brewing books. We tend to be more interested other brewers’ procedures, ideas, etc. For example, we learned A LOT about Stone when we went to Tria Cafe’s Fermentation School class “Get Stoned on Election Day” two years ago. Mitch Steele presented 7 of Stone’s beers and gave us some amazing insight on the brewery. That is the kind of event we look for.

6. What advice do you have for anyone interested in getting into your aspect of the beer industry, whether it be brewing, blogging, etc?

Just do it. Buy the equipment, some books, read some recipes online, snag some brewing software (we use Beer Alchemy for Macs…very useful) and go for it. If your first homebrew is a stinker, try to figure out why, and try again. Have fun with it, and don’t take it TOO seriously.

As for blogging, get an idea of what you want your blog to be about. Bathtub Brewery focuses on our homebrews, offering readers our recipes and tasting notes. It also offers homebrewing advice, our participation in The Session and Fermentation Friday, and posts about our beer travels, cooking with beer, and so on. When we started, we had a rigid schedule of 3 times a week. We did well with this for quite some time, but life happens. Maybe the most important thing was letting ourselves take breaks when needed. When we were ready to talk about beer, the blog would be there.

7. If you brew, what is your latest creation? If you don’t brew, what beer would you want to brew/ want to see brewed?

Our latest beer is the Bee Sting Ale, Redux. We brewed it on Memorial Day and had friends come over to experience the process. I love that beer!

8. What has been your hardest challenge in the industry? What has been your greatest success?

Getting myself out there and networking more. I’m a shy person around people I don’t know. Some nights I can give out a ton of blog business cards, and other nights I don’t even reach in my bag for them. It’s something I want to work on. The greatest success would have to be getting recognition. “You’re the guys from Bathtub Brewery!” It’s great to meet the faces behind the blogs and Twitter. Also, Bathtub Brewery recently participated in Dish on the Fly, where Mary from the Town Dish took a bunch of Philly foodie gifts up to Boston. We were asked to contribute a homebrew, so we offered up our 1+ year aged Barleywine. The brew was passed along to one of the brewers at Harpoon, and I found out later that he REALLY liked it. Score!

9. Tell us your most fun beer story.

A year ago today (11/7) I got married to my best friend and homebrewing partner in the courtyard of Stoudts Brewery. Immediately following the ceremony, we went into the German-style beer hall and threw one kickass party, where we had over 11 beers on tap to choose from, including Smooth Hoperator, Stoudts’ Winter Ale (a hoppy red), Gold (a Munich-style Helles), Pils, Double IPA, Scarlet Lady (an ESB), a robust porter, Stoudt’s Pale Ale, Peppercorn Pumpkin Ale (aka Peppercornhole), Oktoberfest, and for our wedding toast: Old Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout (for me) and Stoudts’ Tripel (for Ray). Then we honeymooned in Denver, one of the other great beer cities in the US.

10. What is your take on the craft beer industry? What is your favorite thing about it? What could stand improvement?

This is an industry that a lot of others could learn from. It’s a place where competitors encourage each other and form a community—they bound together in that “it takes a village” kind of thing. I love this. I love how proud brewers are of what they create, how they’re proud of what others create. And I hope this never stops. I think craft beer is less “industry” and more community.

As for improvement? I think the craft beer crowd just has to keep moving forward. Focus on quality and creativity. The bottom line is important (money buys ingredients and pays salaries), but true success is measured in so many other ways. Never stop, never look back and let’s see where craft beer takes us.

Have a question? Email me here:[contact-form 6 "Untitled"]

Originally posted 2010-11-09 09:05:32.

Posted By: Stevie Caldarola

Shane of Sixpoint Craft Ales

Photo Courtesy of The Full Pint

New York (specifically Red Hook, Brooklyn) is lucky enough to house Sixpoint Craft Ales, a brewery with a full line of interesting and tasty craft beer output.

Shane Welch is brewmaster, founder, president, and owner of Sixpoint and was nice enough to answer some questions that I have come up with in order to gather information to hopefully help me in my homebrew journey. Check out this amazing glimpse into the mind of a master brewer:

1. What was your first beer experience?

Oh man…I think I may have had the earliest start of any craft brewer….you see, I have been drinking beer ever since I was 2 years old. Back in the early 80s my father used to drink Meister Brau. Here’s a little walk down memory lane.

Anyway, my father would sometimes leave a little bit of beer left in his ceramic stein, and after he had fallen asleep, I would grab the oversized stein with my two little hands and hoist that thing up over my head and chug the rest. Crazy thing is I remember enjoying the taste of beer ever since I was a kid. Something magical about the sweetness of the malt and spiciness and bitterness of the hops. My parents were shocked – and amused – by the entire ordeal so they took a photo of me. I’ll try to track it down and send it to you.

2. What/who inspired you to start brewing?

Its literature, language, art and poetry that is my weakness. Therefore, it was the indelible and captivating “The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing” by Charlie Papazian and its zany humor, hand-drawn images, and do-it-yourself vibe that had me hooked. Keep in mind that in college, I was a hippie nerd, so the combination of science, chemistry, and making your own beer was right up my alley. Combine that with a fun, informative style and approach, and I was hooked.

3. What is your favorite beer to brew and why? What is your favorite beer to drink (both your own creations and from other breweries as well) and why?

My favorite beer to brew is homebrew. The reason why is because the scale is so much smaller (5-10 gallons versus the typical 500 gallons in Red Hook, Brooklyn) you’re that much more up-close-and-personal with the beer. Everything is smaller – the amount of grain, water, and hops – the size of the kettles, fermenters, etc. And your yield is lower too – so every bottle is precious. I like that feeling of cranking out a small, custom batch…nothing tops it!

Favorite beer from our brewery to drink? That’s really hard because it literally changes every week or month. But recently the Bengali Tiger has been tasting the best it has ever tasted. But, if you would have asked me two months ago, I would have said the Righteous Ale.

As far as beer from other breweries go….oh man, there are SO MANY to drink, and so many good beers. What a great industry. We’re surrounded by all of these amazing colleagues (who in theory, are our competitors too) but they make such great products you just can’t refuse them. For some reason lately I have been obsessed with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. There has been anywhere from one to twelve bottles of it in my refrigerator at all times in the past 3 months. It hits the spot every time!

4. What is your favorite beer event to attend, and why?

Best feel-good event that represents what the craft brewing industry is all about? Without a doubt, the Great Taste of the Midwest.

Best up-and-coming beer event to showcase the creative and renegade side of craft beer? Without a doubt – the Extreme Beer Fest put on by Beer Advocate.

Best global revelry and largest beer party in the world? Hands down – Oktoberfest in Munich. No one even comes close.

5. Have you taken any courses for brewing or beer tasting? What are your thoughts on courses for brewing and tasting- are they helpful or unneccessary?

Although I have no formal courses taken in beer brewing, I am BJCP certified and have extensive chemistry and physics background at UW-Madison, and I was also a math major. Without this solid foundation of knowledge and education, some of the brewing processes would be hard to grasp. However, I do want to emphasize my core competencies rest in the more theoretic fields – and that is why I loved chemistry so much – but people like David Liatti (our Operations Manager) is the more practical engineer.

As far as beer courses for brewing and tasting – they are not necessary, but a knowledge of science and the components of beer are necessary. In other words, you don’t need to go the academic route, but you must have a basic understanding of the causal relationships that take place during the brewing process, for that is how you troubleshoot and problem solve when issues arise. The more advanced your knowledge base is, the better your troubleshooting skills will be.

6. What advice do you have for homebrewers looking to get into the professional field of brewing?

Homebrew your ass off, pound the pavement, press the flesh, and keep the faith.

7. Do you still homebrew? If so, what are you currently brewing or what was your latest creation?

I do homebrew. But I’ve become a bit of a recluse with it sometimes because I like a clean, sterile, and quiet environment without distractions when I homebrew. Its really meditative for me. I can’t stand a soiled or dirty environment, or one where someone is interrupting me every few minutes. I like to immerse myself in the beer. Figuratively, of course.

I’ve also been teaching people how to homebrew lately. A few weeks back, I taught my good friend and executive chef at Prime Meats/Frankies Spuntino Willy Prunty how to make some beer. His knowledge base was already super solid, but we took it to another level. Its a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
8. What has been your hardest challenge with the creation and continued success of Sixpoint? What has been your greatest success/ defining moment with the creation and continued success of Sixpoint?

The creation side has been rather easy…as the creative juices and spirit has always flowed freely with me. Regarding “continued success” I would say that is a subjective critique! But thanks for thinking so. But we have a long way to go…and that is where the struggle comes in. I’d like to see us making better beer, with stronger ties to our community and customers, and better customer service. I also would like better communication within the company…tighter controls…more efficiency. So many things to do! That is the key…to never get lazy or content. Stay fit!

Greatest success or defining moment? I’d like to thing the chapter on that has not yet been written! But I’d have to say – above all else – is the innumerable amazing relationship I’ve been able to forge as a result of starting Sixpoint. I’ve met so many helpful, thoughtful, kind, talented, fun, and appreciative people through this business…I’m eternally grateful. I feel blessed.

Sixpoint Brews

9. Tell us your most fun beer story.

Before I started the brewery, I was living on my friend Aaron’s couch for a few months while I homebrewed every single day. I had turned his kitchen into a bona fide mini brewery. He lived on the second floor of a two-unit flat. On the ground floor was a dude named Pat, who was a 40 year-old “retired poet” who was very idiosyncratic. Anyways, he apparently had moved in several months before but still had his stuff packed in boxes.

I started brewing and one day there was a knock at the door. It’s Pat. He said, “what are you doing up here? Its smells like you’re making candy.” I said, “Don’t worry. Just making beer. That’s the malt – it smells sweet.” Pat then replies, “Uh……ok. It sounds dangerous…..” I said, “Nah…I’ve done it hundreds of times. Its easy.”

Flash forward a few days, and I’m making a batch of American Amber on the stovetop. Then, I get a phone call. The reception is poor, so I go out onto the balcony. I’m talking to my friend, and then I hear a knocking at the door – its Pat! Uh-oh. Apparently there is a RIVER OF BEER coming through the ceiling and dripping onto his book in the living room.

I rush to the kitchen to find out I had a boil over. Shit! Yep, it ran down the side of the kettle, and all over the stove, and then down the gas line through the linoleum floor. It goes through the floor and comes out the ceiling below and is streaming all over Pat’s books, still freshly packed in cardboard boxes. What a sight….a river of hot brown beer coming through the ceiling!

Just like Poltergeist. Haha.

10. What is your take on the craft beer community? What is your favorite thing about it? What could stand for some improvement?

The craft beer community is awesome, and it is probably my single favorite thing about the entire industry. Interestingly, its not just the community of brewers….not even close. Its the community of craft beer drinkers, craft beer bar owners, craft beer writers, craft beer bloggers, craft beer distributors, and craft beer website owners. Its a gigantic and ever expanding craft beer universe!

My favorite thing about it is it is so different from other industries….like take, for example, Wall Street. There is less of a “every man for himself” and “dog eat dog” mentality and more of a mentality of “a rising tide lifts all boats” and cooperation.

As far as improving the industry…I would say there could possibly be some regional centers within the Brewer’s Association…since the country is so large. I think every major city should have a craft beer week…and it would be nice to get some sponsorship and support from an organized source. If the Brewer’s Association really threw their weight behind a coordinated effort to get all 50 states rocking craft beer, the sky is the limit!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shane has that refreshing a relate-able style that we see with a lot of brewmasters, and that is what I love so much about this industry. There is competition, for sure, but brewers are constantly encouraging others to join in the game and get to brewing- the passion is everywhere, and it certainly is contagious.

With that, I say to you, go out there and talk to your local brewers. Hopefully, (and I have a hunch they will be,) they’ll be as insightful, smart, experienced and willing to chat as Shane was.

Originally posted 2010-08-24 23:36:11.

Posted By: Stevie Caldarola

As the president of Ladies of Craft Beer, I get the pleasure of meeting many amazing women who are a part of the craft beer industry. Each woman has great stories and amazing insight into the world of craft beer. This has inspired me to start a “Women in Beer” interview series. Whether brewing, blogging, selling, marketing, or advocating craft beer, women from all over the industry will answer the following ten questions to share with your their thoughts and experiences with craft beer. I hope that these little glimpses into the minds of these great women will inspire you.

If you know or have heard of a woman in the craft beer community that you think deserves to be highlighted in this series, please send me your suggestion(s).

Cheers!

~~~~~

Hanna Laney is the resident Word Nerd at Great Divide Brewing Company.

1. What was your first beer experience?

My first beer memories go back to being a kid and seeing my dad drink Widmer Hefeweizen in a tiny town in Oregon called Sunriver. To me, the word “beer” meant that particular golden brew and an evening spent grilling on the patio. My first tastes of craft beer were in college. There was this awesome grocery store in Spokane, Washington called Huckleberry’s that let you do mix-and-match six packs from a more-than-respectable craft beer cooler. This is where I had the chance to branch out and try styles that have become some of my favorites: saisons, krieks, sours and west coast IPAs.

2. If you brew/homebrew, what or who inspired you to start brewing? What do you do in the industry and what or who inspired you to get into it?

I don’t homebrew or brew commercially but I have some serious respect for all the hard workers who do. Currently, I work for Great Divide Brewing Company as the resident Word Nerd. My job is a delightful hodge-podge of social media strategy, copywriting, festival coordination and general customer service. Of course, I do my part for quality control one pint at a time in the Tap Room, as well. I was inspired to get into the industry when my parents started growing barley for Rogue Ales and Spirits. This opened my eyes to the thoughtful, creative process that is craft brewing and I’ve been hooked ever since!

3. What is your favorite beer to brew and why? What is your favorite beer to drink and why?

That’s a hard one. I don’t know if I can pin favorite on a single beer but, undoubtedly, my favorite style is a hopped-up West Coast-style IPA—whether citrus, floral, grassy, it’s all good. Growing up in Portland gave me a bevy of delicious hop bombs to choose from and I’m slowly making my way through all of them that I can find. I will try any brewery’s IPA, but since I’m still relatively new in the industry, I like to try new things, especially at the behest of my much more experienced co-workers and friends in the industry.

4. What is/was your favorite beer event to attend, and why?

I like the energy and excitement of the big blowouts like GABF, but my favorite events are the neighborhood tasting events. I’d rather spend an evening at a local, neighborhood haunt trying beer than a big, crazy multi-day marathon festival. My favorite events are the quirky one-nighters like vertical tastings, single hop festivals, single style showcases, beer and food pairings and brewery anniversary parties.

5. Have you taken any tasting and/or brewing courses? What are your thoughts on such courses?

Unfortunately, I have yet to take any brewing or tasting courses. I think they are a great way to learn about the entire craft and I hope to delve in soon. While beer’s legitimacy is obvious to fans and industry members around the world, I think programs like the Cicerone training and evaluation help validate beer as more than just wine’s hillbilly cousin. I’m excited about the standardization of these tests and how they reflect the nuance, subtlety, passion and complexity of beer as a craft.

6. What advice do you have for anyone interested in getting into your aspect of the beer industry?

I’ve run into some excellent luck along the way that has allowed me to be in the right place at the right time, so I don’t know if I have any great advice for anyone. However, I can comment on the openness, warmth and overall helpfulness of those in the craft beer industry. If you want to get into the industry, start asking around. Try and get an informational interview with anyone you can—this way, you can get vital info from those already in the industry. Look for part-time jobs in breweries that could open the door to what you ultimately want to be doing. All of our brewers have come from our production team and I think that speaks to the fluidity and room for growth within the industry.

7. What beer would you want to brew/ want to see brewed?

Can I have two answers? Experimental and session. To me, each beer is an experience within itself; a nice 16-ounce journey. While I obviously want to see more of my favorite style being brewed, I have a special place in my heart for experimental beers. There’s something really inspiring to me about saying, “To hell with it–we’re doing this thing and we’ll see how it works out.” Non-hopped beers, alternative ingredients, style revivals, blends and barrel work all appeal to me. I also think the whole industry is primed for a session beer renaissance and I can’t wait.

8. What has been your hardest challenge in the industry? What has been your greatest success?

Hardest challenge? Hmm…I can’t say that anything jumps to mind. I’ve found the industry to be mostly inclusive, progressive and exciting. I suppose I have had some trouble convincing people that a young woman in the industry should be taken seriously, but that’s the vast minority of interactions I’ve had. As far as successes, I’m happy to have been on the forefront of some of the exciting trends in beer and social media while working at Great Divide. As an industry, we’re on the cusp of some pretty cool new technologies that can bridge the gap between real-time beer experience and the web. I’m looking forward to seeing how these trends can continue to enrich the social experience of craft beer.

9. Tell us your most fun beer story.

Undoubtedly, my most fun beer story comes from the 2009 Oregon Brewers Fest when I worked at Rogue as an intern. I think too much detail would leave me in some hot water, but, suffice to say, the day was one for the books. For some reason, the Rogue cadre attends the festival dressed as monks, so I spent a day of parading, imbibing and general shenanigans in a brown robe, cigar in mouth and mug in hand.

10. What is your take on the craft beer industry? What is your favorite thing about it? What could stand improvement?

My favorite thing about the craft beer industry is the people. Most people I’ve met within the industry enjoy their role in the process. In a time of decided cultural divisions, it’s inspiring to see an industry that brings people together in the name of innovation, passion and good, ol’ fashioned human interaction. I would say an improvement that comes to mind is between women. If we could find a way to close the philosophical gap between die-hard female beer geeks and newbies, we could make craft beer a more inviting place for women. The way I see it, there’s room for every palate.

~~~~~

Related Posts:

• Women in Beer Series – Karen Walker, Colette Johnson and Krista Homiak
• Women in Beer Series – Kelly McKnight
• Third Annual Parade of Darks – Wynkoop Brewing, Denver, Colorado
• Women in Beer Series – Megan Parisi
• Women in Beer Series – Mariah Calagione

Posted By: Stevie Caldarola

As the president of Ladies of Craft Beer, I get the pleasure of meeting many amazing women who are a part of the craft beer industry. Each woman has great stories and amazing insight into the world of craft beer. This has inspired me to start a “Women in Beer” interview series. Whether brewing, blogging, selling, marketing, or advocating craft beer, women from all over the industry will answer the following ten questions to share with your their thoughts and experiences with craft beer. I hope that these little glimpses into the minds of these great women will inspire you.

If you know or have heard of a woman in the craft beer community that you think deserves to be highlighted in this series, please send me your suggestion(s).

Cheers!

~~~~~

Kelly McKnight is an Assistant Brewer at Watch City Brewing. 

1. What was your first beer experience?

I grew up in Fort Collins, CO and Odell and New Belgium were everywhere. Appreciating craft brew was ingrained in us as Coloradoans and showed in my first sips of a New Belgium Sunshine Wheat on a camping trip. My older brother drank Sunshine, so I definitely was inspired by him and his brew wisdom. There’s something special about sitting around a campfire with great friends drinking some incredible beer – I’m fortunate for that first brew experience.

2. If you brew/homebrew, what or who inspired you to start brewing? What do you do in the industry and what or who inspired you to get into it?

I moved out to Seattle to attend University of Washington for undergrad and, in the Northwest, hombrewing is what people do. I met a ton of kids whose parents brewed when they were growing up, and the smell of boiling wort in the morning was just as common to them as bacon and eggs. I immediately bought a kit from Bob’s Homebrew (he started off the guys from Mac n’ Jack and Georgetown Brewing) and brewed up a pumpkin hefeweizen, which was definitely not common up in the Northwest. It turned out great- I was hooked! From there, I brewed insane IPAs, chili beers and basically anything that I was hungry for. That was 11 years ago and now I’m Assistant Brewer at Watch City Brewing Company in Waltham, MA. I also owe a lot of credit to my former bosses Suzanne Schalow , Kate Baker and Ginger Castrios at craft beer bar Cambridge Common in Cambridge, MA. I worked there throughout grad school and they exposed me to a ton of great brews and taught me about the B to C aspects of selling beer.

3. What is your favorite beer to brew and why? What is your favorite beer to drink and why?

I’ve really turned a corner in brewing and have become pretty near obsessed with brewing Belgians. There’s something about the yeasts and trying to perfect the malt and aromatic components that keeps me coming back. I also appreciate the endless possibilities when working with spices in all stages of the process. Granted, all of these are involved when brewing other beer styles, however, I feel Belgians afford more freedom as the term “Belgian” incorporates many micro-styles.

4. What is/was your favorite beer event to attend, and why?

I love GABF for all of the brewing nostalgia but I’d have to say that the Vermont Brewers Festival in Burlington, VT. I went up last year to help out Peak Organic BC and the fest was unreal. It’s right on Lake Champlain and the breweries that show up are insane. There’s a mix of tiny Vermont breweries, the big guys and many French Canadian breweries pouring some of the best beers I’ve ever tried. Overall the crowd is awesome and everybody is in an amazing mood – last year we jumped in the lake between shows and relaxed thinking about what beers we were going to try next!

5. Have you taken any tasting and/or brewing courses? What are your thoughts on such courses?

No official brew courses for me- most of my brew knowledge came from homebrewing and drinking numerous beers on vacations, brewery visits and at home. I moved out to Boston to finish up Pre-Med at Harvard where my chemistry and biochem background broadened and allowed me to see deeper into the whole brewing process. I wish that I had known I wanted to brew before I spent “an arm and a leg” on grad school, as I would have gone directly to a brewing academy. I admire the brewers who have attended these institutions and believe the classes there prepare strong brewers for all types of brewing.

6. What advice do you have for anyone interested in getting into your aspect of the beer industry?
Do it! The best day of my life was the day that I decided not to go to med school and to become a brewer instead. It’s a lot of hard work and nobody can fully be prepared for all of the nitty gritty one has to deal with, but it’s worth every minute. There is no better feeling than spending months of hard work designing a recipe, working your butt off to brew it and then seeing a person take the first sips and enjoying it!

7. What beer would you want to brew/ want to see brewed?

I draw a lot of inspiration from my annual trips to Kauai and enjoy a lot of Waimea Brewing Company’s Brewmaster Dave Curry’s beers. I’d love to see more tropical brews out here in New England. In fact, my first brew recipe is our Hawaiian pale ale with hibiscus and toasted coconut. I’d love to brew more using tropical fruits and spices – maybe a guava triple or a an allspice porter.

8. What has been your hardest challenge in the industry? What has been your greatest success?

[My biggest challenge-] understanding the beast we call yeast! Yeast is a delicate monster; yes, delicate because you must coddle and protect it, yet it is a live as a raging machine. Yeast also has numerous properties and can effect so many facets of the brew that I am working to continually educate myself and get in tune with all of the strains. I think it will take years to have a comprehensive understanding of what each strain can achieve. My greatest success in brewing has been taking the leap of faith that I did when leaving behind my medical career and hitting the point at which I am at now. It is never easy to leave the comfort of what you know, and making it through the gauntlet to become a successful Brewer has made me proud. I owe a lot to my brewery owner Jocelyn McLaughlin, Brewmaster Aaron Mateychuk and beer writer Jen Harmon for giving me my first brewing opportunity at Watch City Brewing.

9. Tell us your most fun beer story.

I spend my free time traveling to breweries and beer fests and love discovering new types of beer or brew techniques. On a recent visit to Montreal while at an amazing brewery Dieu du Ciel I had fatefully learned that La Fete Bieres & Saveurs was happening in Chambly nearby. It was amazing! Dozens of tiny breweries that I had never heard about dotted the festival and the beers were insane. Talk about inspiration! I’m not fluent in French but the flavors that were coming out of those artisan breweries were awesome. Over here in Boston we don’t get many French-Canadian brews and to be thrown into a giant fest with hundreds of them was an amazing treat!

10. What is your take on the craft beer industry? What is your favorite thing about it? What could stand improvement?

The Craft Beer Industry rocks! People are helpful, mellow and we are all on the same team working for the greater good. My favorite thing about the industry is working in an environment that’s growing and where creativity can be expressed. As far as improvement goes I think that we’re all working as hard as we can to expose people to quality beer where each glass contains labor and love – I hope more people catch on!

~~~~~

Related Posts:

• Vicki Stowe – Brewmaster (Part 32)
• Women in Beer Series – Hanna Laney
• Women in Beer Series – Megan Parisi
• Women in Beer Series – Karen Walker, Colette Johnson and Krista Homiak
• A Beer Drinking Woman in a Beer Man’s World

Posted By: Stevie Caldarola

As the president of Ladies of Craft Beer, I get the pleasure of meeting many amazing women who are a part of the craft beer industry. Each woman has great stories and amazing insight into the world of craft beer. This has inspired me to start a “Women in Beer” interview series. Whether brewing, blogging, selling, marketing, or advocating craft beer, women from all over the industry will answer the following ten questions to share with your their thoughts and experiences with craft beer. I hope that these little glimpses into the minds of these great women will inspire you.

If you know or have heard of a woman in the craft beer community that you think deserves to be highlighted in this series, please send me your suggestion(s).

Cheers!

~~~~~

Megan Parisi is Lead Brewer at Cambridge Brewing Company.

1. What was your first beer experience?

As a child, my sister and I found a warm can of Budweiser in our Dad’s little “bar.” It was truly “fizzy yellow stuff.” And warm. And pretty unpleasant. It’s amazing to think that I ever developed a taste for beer after that.

2. What or who inspired you to start brewing?

My then-boyfriend-now-husband began homebrewing one summer to stay out of trouble while I was away. He taught me to brew and I took to it like a fish to water – I just loved it!

3. What is your favorite beer to brew and why? What is your favorite beer to drink and why?

Some beers are more fun to brew because they go along with seasonal rituals like CBC’s Heather Ale. Every year, we go to pick 11 pounds of fresh heather tips to brew with the next day. Part of the ritual includes feasting on lobster rolls and a trip to the beach after picking flowers in the sun for a few hours. My favorite beer to drink would have to be the one in my glass at the moment!

4. What is/was your favorite beer event to attend, and why?

The GABF – Even though judging takes up a fair amount of time, energy and sobriety, it’s still the best opportunity to catch up with all my friends and colleagues from around the world and enjoy all the great events Denver has to offer.

5. Have you taken any tasting and/or brewing courses? What are your thoughts on such courses?

In general brewing studies, I earned the General Certificate in Brewing and Packaging from the IBD and the Professional Brewer’s Certificate from UC Davis. As far as tasting/sensory work, I have taken the Master of Beer Styles course at Siebel. All the courses have been exceptionally useful in my development as a brewer and a judge. None of the technical brewing courses would have been of any use to me without having also refreshed on my general math and science coursework ahead of time.

6. What advice do you have for anyone interested in getting into your aspect of the beer industry?

If you want to brew, you have to be prepared for a few realities: you have to be willing to do anything. Cleaning kegs and scrubbing floors is how you get in the door. People who have shown that level of dedication and patience are going to get taught the next level. You also have to be serious about your education – read everything you can, taste everything you can – seize any opportunity to become the most competent brewer you can be.

7. What beer would you want to brew/ want to see brewed?

There isn’t any one beer I would like to brew – I always want to think of a new flavor or use of an ingredient. Sometimes, I see a brewer use an ingredient just for the sake of saying they used it, but I want to find a way that allows the ingredient to shine, that’s the real art. Also, I love to see an exceptionally executed traditional style, that’s also a real art!

8. What has been your hardest challenge in the industry? What has been your greatest success?

The hardest challenge was developing the confidence in my ability to create recipes that other people would enjoy as much as I do myself. Once I made my first professional recipe, and it was a huge success, I really felt like I had some idea what I was doing. I’ve enjoyed many successes, but probably the biggest was winning a Gold Medal at the first GABF that I attended. There’s just no feeling like hearing your beer/brewery’s name called out during that awards ceremony.

9. Tell us your most fun beer story.

I’m not sure that a public forum is appropriate place for that!

10. What is your take on the craft beer industry?

What is your favorite thing about it? The Craft Beer Industry is in a huge surge at the moment. So many new places are opening, and existing breweries are expanding, it’s pretty exciting. The opportunity for raising the bar for exceptional beer is upon us. The best thing about this industry though it the people. We’re all competitive, and not without ego, but we seem to be a community determined to stay collegial. Whenever I’ve had a question, I know I can call anyone and get an honest answer. We all drive each other to be better brewers, the people just make it a great industry of which to be a part.

~~~~~

Related Posts:

• Women in Beer Series – Kelly McKnight
• Women in Beer Series – Hanna Laney
• Women in Beer Series – Karen Walker, Colette Johnson and Krista Homiak
• Slate.com – The Hops Ceiling
• Women in Beer Series – Martha Holley-Paquette

Posted By: Stevie Caldarola

As the president of Ladies of Craft Beer, I get the pleasure of meeting many amazing women who are a part of the craft beer industry. Each woman has great stories and amazing insight into the world of craft beer. This has inspired me to start a “Women in Beer” interview series. Whether brewing, blogging, selling, marketing, or advocating craft beer, women from all over the industry will answer the following ten questions to share with your their thoughts and experiences with craft beer. I hope that these little glimpses into the minds of these great women will inspire you.

Cheers!

Mariah Calagione is the marketing maven behind Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales in Delaware. As the wife of Sam Calagione, we know she is also the brains behind the operation . Sam and Mariah co-own the brewery.

1. What was your first beer experience?

My first ever beer experience was probably some not-so-great night in high school drinking terrible beer. My first craft beer experience would be in the summer before my senior year in college when I lived in NYC with my then-boyfriend, now-husband and we both worked at Nacho Mama’s Burritos (upper west side, near Columbia) and served craft beer (Sierra, Anchor, Brooklyn, etc..) to hungry students.

2. If you brew/homebrew, what or who inspired you to start brewing? What do you do in the industry and what or who inspired you to get into it?
n/a

3. What is your favorite beer to brew and why? What is your favorite beer to drink and why?
To drink – well, it totally depends. My go-to year, round beer is Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA … but I enjoy so many different beers depending on where I am, what I am eating, what the weather is like and more. May sound like a cop-out but it there are really so many factors that can make a beer great!

4. What is/was your favorite beer event to attend, and why?
I used to love Michael Jackson’s annual tasting at the University of PA Museum. It was a great beer festival, with fantastic breweries in this amazing space. Sadly, it no longer happens.

5. Have you taken any tasting and/or brewing courses? What are your thoughts on such courses?
I’ve taken the most basic Cicerone course (although I never did the test).

6. What advice do you have for anyone interested in getting into your aspect of the beer industry?
Outside of my owner/general management duties, I focus on marketing and communications for Dogfish Head. In terms of getting a foot in the door – I’d recommend volunteering or working in a brewery tour/tasting room or in a brewpub. If you jump in with both feet and learn as much about the brewery and their beers, that enthusiasm can be infectious. We currently have former tour guides in our Marketing Dept and former brewpub servers as brewers.

7. What beer would you want to brew/ want to see brewed?
My husband asked me that about a year and a half ago. I replied that I’d love to see Belgian-style white beer with orange peel and lemongrass. For my birthday he brewed the first batch of Namaste. It’s been a hit and has since gone into our regular production lineup.

8. What has been your hardest challenge in the industry? What has been your greatest success?
Our hardest challenge has been to weather the tough years of 1999-2003. That was a time when many wholesalers had been burned by fly-by-night microbrews (they’d been promised to be the NEXT BIG THING) and were very wary to take on new brands – let alone brands making 11% abv beers made with maple syrup and vanilla. Instead of dumbing down our beers or making what wholesalers said they wanted, we stuck to our guns. Fortunately, the beer-drinkers prevailed saying they wanted more-flavorful, off-centered beers!

9. Tell us your most fun beer story.
Impossible. Pretty much all my fun, life stories (personal and professional) include beer to some degree!

10. What is your take on the craft beer industry? What is your favorite thing about it? What could stand improvement?
The craft beer industry is great – so many fun, caring people. We have each others’ back. We love working together towards the goal of growing the craft beer segment. We all do our own thing, but there is mutual respect. While it isn’t all rainbows and ponies (to borrow a phrase from our 8-year old daughter), for the most part we work hard and have fun! The fact that we love what we do helps as well! What could stand improvement? Not too much – hey we’re getting more and more interest and support from passionate drinkers and we get to have fun and make beer that we enjoy drinking. No complaints here!

Have a question? Email me here:[contact-form 6 "Untitled"]

Originally posted 2010-11-09 13:05:13.

Posted By: Stevie Caldarola

As the president of Ladies of Craft Beer, I get the pleasure of meeting many amazing women who are a part of the craft beer industry. Each woman has great stories and amazing insight into the world of craft beer. This has inspired me to start a “Women in Beer” interview series. Whether brewing, blogging, selling, marketing, or advocating craft beer, women from all over the industry will answer the following ten questions to share with your their thoughts and experiences with craft beer. I hope that these little glimpses into the minds of these great women will inspire you.

If you know or have heard of a woman in the craft beer community that you think deserves to be highlighted in this series, please send me your suggestion(s).

Cheers!

~~~~~

Karen Walker, Colette Johnson and Krista Homiak are the leaders of the Denver, Colorado based women and beer group called Hopped Up Dames.

Karen, Krista and Colette

1. What was your first beer experience?

Karen: I grew up outside of Akron, OH and I had a fake ID I would use to buy my friends Natural Light or “Nattie Light”. Hence, I did not like beer until I tried a Guinness several years later while studying abroad in Pamplona, Spain. I moved to Colorado after living in Pamplona and I couldn’t believe how good beer could be until I started sampling micro brews!

Colette: Similar to Karens…I grew up in Oklahoma, and until recently they haven’t offered many choices with microbrews. So long story short, I disliked beer until I homebrewed in college with my roommates. That’s when I first tasted a beer that didn’t taste like water! The rest is history!

2. If you brew/homebrew, what or who inspired you to start brewing? What do you do in the industry and what or who inspired you to get into it?

Karen: I do not brew/homebrew. One of the other founders of the “Hopped Up Dames”, Colette, has homebrewed in the past. One day I hope to open a tap room and have our own brew on tap along with other local Colorado brews.

Colette: I haven’t homebrewed since college, but really want to start up again! I just need to find the space in my house!

3. What is your favorite beer to brew and why? What is your favorite beer to drink and why?

Karen: I prefer darker beers, but love to try everything and learn about all types of beer. My favorite time of year for beer is Oktoberfest. I love the Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen. As for microbrews, a good scotch ale like Old Chub from Oskar Blues is on my list. They also have a delicious Hazelnut Brown you can only get from the brewery. I always come prepared with a growler. My current favorite beer is a Black Pale Ale from Strange Brewing in Denver. As you can see it is hard to pick a favorite when I live in a state with over 90 microbreweries!

Colette: I don’t think I could say I have one favorite. There are way too many to choose from. It definitely depends on the season and my mood! Here are a some of my many favorites…Great Divide’s 17th Anniversary Ale, IPAphany India Pale Ale from Strange Brewing, and Left Hand’s Milk Stout.

4. What is/was your favorite beer event to attend, and why?

Karen: Our women’s beer tasting group has begun volunteering at smaller brew fests and these have been my favorite events. We get to help out while sampling brews. Brew fests have grown so much over the years and attendance has gone up substantially. I think that 71% of the GABF for 9/30 has already sold out this year? [Editor's Note: The Great American Beer Festival has already completely  sold out.] When there are so many people tasting brews, it is hard to have good conversation with the breweries. I do enjoy a large brew fest all the same. Large brew fests are great events to just hang out with friends and enjoy beer. Smaller brew fests are a great place to learn more about the craft beers I am drinking and to make connections/build friendships with people in the craft beer industry.

Colette: I love going to Snowmass Chili and Brew Fest. The scenery and atmosphere paired along with craft beer and music make this event one of my favorites.

The Hopped Up Dames!

5. Have you taken any tasting and/or brewing courses? What are your thoughts on such courses?

Karen: I haven’t taken any formal courses, but our group did host a beer and cheese pairing. I really enjoyed researching how beer pairs so well with cheese, even better than wine pairs with cheese. Our group is about enjoying and educating ourselves along the way. We don’t pretend to be experts in beer. The fun of the group is learning together and meeting other women who enjoy great beer.

I think formal courses on tasting and brewing will be in our future. Currently we are establishing our group (which is open to the public, no membership required) in the craft beer industry. I think getting out there and talking to people in the industry is just as effective as a tasting course; however, when it comes to brewing, I would need a course b/c that is more complex than just tasting brews. It’s no wonder that many master brewers have a background in chemistry or other sciences.

6. What advice do you have for anyone interested in getting into your aspect of the beer industry?

Karen: We try to be creative with the experiences we set up for ladies who attend our events. Women would lose interest if all we did was go on brewery tours. Also, like I said, we are not experts in beer. We started this group because we loved to try all kinds of beer and wanted to learn more about the industry as well as introduce more women to great beer. So far, we have been effective! As for getting into ‘our aspect’, just get out there a support the micro brew industry by drinking craft beer.

7. What beer would you want to brew/ want to see brewed?

Karen: We tasted a Cocoa Blonde from Dry Dock Brewing. It was refreshing to have a chocolate beer that was not dark, but looked more like a Pilsner. I would like to see more of that. I also love when a brewery experiments with a Firkin keg.

8. What has been your hardest challenge in the industry? What has been your greatest success?

Karen: Our hardest challenge is getting ladies to attend events outside of the Denver area. When we host events in Denver, we have up to 20 women show up. No matter what, we enjoy going beyond those boundaries, but I have to admit it is disappointing when you set up an event at an amazing brewery and only 4 ladies show up! Especially since we work with the breweries to give us free flights of beer or pints to make it a low cost event and we also have a designated driver to carpool us to the event.

Our greatest success has been the word of mouth. Every event has a new face or faces. Quite honestly, it is a great way to meet other women (which is why men have tried to infiltrate our events)! Friendships form out of meeting at one of our events. Friendships begin from a common interest- a love of craft beer. I mean, c’mon, how fantastic is that?!?

9. Tell us your most fun beer story.

Karen: There have been so many fun times in conjunction with beer, it is hard to decide on one that was most fun. My most recent fun time was at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. New Belgium supplied beer for the entire event. I enjoyed sipping brews in a gorgeous valley surrounded by 13-14,000 ft. peaks with waterfalls in the distance and amazing musicians on stage for 4 straight days. Not bad at all!

10. What is your take on the craft beer industry? What is your favorite thing about it? What could stand improvement?

Karen: My take on the craft beer industry is that it is huge and the rate it is growing is incredible! Besides the unending variety in craft beers, I love the fact that many breweries are giving back to the local community. By just drinking beer, you can be supporting a cause or charity. I would love to see more of that as the craft beer industry grows. I would also like to bring that aspect to our beer tasting group and, one day I hope to be inviting y’all to a Hopped Up Dames brew fest!

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