📚 How Women Are Bringing Beer to Life

Water, malt, hops, yeast- the four core active ingredients that develop a beer. However, ever before question what goes into a beer after it leaves the storage tanks as well as heads into containers? There are numerous actions to completing a beer before it makes it to your fridge in your home.

📚 How Women Are Bringing Beer to Life

From walking clients via an educational experience at the brewery to crafting the ideal can identify to even selling beer on the shelves, a whole world exists past the brewhouse floor that brings your favorite beer to life.

Don't get us wrong. We love how the wonderful alchemy of those four items creates the ideal liquid. However take a closer look inside your regional brewery, at the can identify art, or on the shelves where you pick up your favored beer, and you'll find hands behind the curtain driving the engine of creation and creativity.

To celebrate our upcoming females in craft beer celebration, Beers With( out) Beards occurring from Wed. Oct. 7th, 2020-Sat. Oct. 10th, 2020 we teamed up with Tröegs Independent Brewing and also Craft Beer Storage to include 3 fantastic ladies bringing beer to life in their very own distinct ways.

troegs haze charmer hazy ipa
Over 3,700 Tours Later Christie Yurkovic Remains To Bring Beer to Life With Education and learning
One of the best methods to recognize the identification of a brewery is to actually visit the taproom (albeit securely throughout our existing COVID period). And also one of the best ways to obtain a behind the curtain peek at a brewery's brand is via a tour. Numerous trips adhere to a basic style. Check out the brewhouse floor, listen to a line concerning just how to make beer, as well as sample a few beers. Yet, at Tröegs they approach things differently.

In very early 2020 a panel of specialists and editors at both U.S.A. Today and 10Best. com chose Tröegs for one of the best brewery scenic tours in the country. Viewers rated the Hershey, brewery as the number one brewery tour in the country. Behind Tröegs' special as well as immersive experiences is Christie Yurkovic, Brewery Experience as well as Tour Supervisor.

Yurkovic in fact started at Tröegs after functioning as a zookeeper in Massachusetts. Four years later on she came back to her hometown in Pennsylvania and also, looking for a change, landed a part-time work in Tröegs general store. Six months later she handled the full-time setting as Tröegs scenic tour supervisor. She's invested the last six years enlightening people that check out the brewery on what makes Tröegs tick. Averaging 10-12 trips a week, Yurkovic computes that she's given over 3,700 trips all time. That's a lot of discussing beer and also bringing it to life.

a poured beer troegs haze charmer
" My mind is constantly churning on exactly how we can create brand-new programs to bring a new instructional facet to the client and keep them excited concerning Tröegs' beer," states Yurkovic.

With that goal in mind, Tröegs created the Splinter Tour, a behind the curtain look at its wood-aging desire room for special wild-fermented ales, blended fermentation and fruit sours, and also bourbon barrel-aged heavy hitters. Other programs Yurkovic has actually helped leader consist of the Link the Hops experience, a distinctive sensory immersion right into jumps, food and also beer pairings, as well as much more.

" Individuals come on the excursions since they want to discover; they want craft beer and for Tröegs. I want everyone on a trip to try something they have not tried before," states Yurkovic. "People always intend to strike up a discussion previously, after, as well as during the scenic tour to speak about their very own experiences. It's really public."

troegs nugget nectar on pallets
That sense of community is very important to Yurkovic. She notes that as a woman in the market she's experienced her share of skepticism from men visiting the brewery. "There is always the individual that will be available in and also take a look at me as well as look to the person alongside me to ask concerns. I'll speak up and also address and they'll be startled that I recognize an extensive solution," states Yurkovic. "I'm constantly satisfied to confirm them incorrect."

Optimistically, Yurkovic has seen that increasingly more women are coming in to consume alcohol by themselves without an other half or a guy, whether it's for a girls' day out, a buddy's lunch with youngsters, or perhaps a bachelorette celebration.

" The society has changed and also ladies are much more open to the experience of entering a brewery. Comprehending that you will certainly locate something you wish to drink as well as enjoy it, that's a welcoming sensation," claims Yurkovic.

Yurkovic uses education to bring Tröegs' beer to life inside the taproom. Yet, the tale behind a beer starts from the minute you get the container.

The Art of Developing: Just How Illustrator Lindsey Tweed Develops a Beer Tag from Start to Finish

The identification of a beer outside of a can is just as essential as the liquid inside. There more than 8,700 breweries making beer- each aiming to attract attention on a rack among a sea of options. The visual brand of a brewery, and specifically an individual can or bottle, is just one of the most effective means to bring a beer a life.

That's the task Lindsey Tweed embarks on each time she creates the label for a brand-new Tröegs beer.

As an established visuals developer and illustrator, Tweed refined her abilities at a very young age. As a budding artist, she recreated illustrations of birds from among her huge publications of Audubon Culture birds. Or perhaps dragons. In her adolescent years, she realized her layout capabilities can convert to the computer system. She developed her own sites via Angelfire and Yahoo's Geocities, website building contractors popular in the 1990s.

As Tweed developed her graphic layout occupation she at some point crossed courses with Tröegs while operating at a Philadelphia-based advertising agency. A longtime companion of the firm, Tröegs approached the firm with a very straight brief. Style a tag and identification for their new beer, Jump Knife. Tweed helmed the project as well as, long story short, Tröegs enjoyed the brand-new layout a lot that they asked Tweed to collaborate on revamping the whole Tröegs brand name.

Tröegs maintains a tiny roster of in-house and also self-employed creatives to bring their beers and also the brewery to life. As well as, when Tröegs has a brand-new beer coming out (such as their recent year-round edition, Haze Charmer) they typically collaborate with Tweed.

How to Produce a New Beer Brand
troegs haze charmer in a glass
But developing a new beer brand isn't as easy as it sounds. Finding methods to capture the flavor, appearance, fragrance, and components of a new beer done in one cohesive visual identification takes planning, sketching, approach, and also certainly a bit of drinking.

" You have to comprehend the industry and also the audience. Eventually everything I do is bespoke, however I customize [my styles] to the marketplace as well as the chance," states Tweed. "My preferred aspect of being a visuals developer is that … I can be a chameleon adjusting to a new identification [of the job]".

Each time Tröegs seeks a brand-new tag they send out Tweed a thorough discussion. They set out the taste profile, jumps made use of, developing process, any type of particular fermentation specifics, colors of the beer, and anything else that can educate a brand-new label. From there Tweed utilizes her bespoke strategy, functioning to integrate her creative panache along with the task's parameters. It's a delicate balancing act.

lindsay tweed troegs.
" I always start with flavor, color, as well as the experience of alcohol consumption [the brand-new beer]," states Tweed, who uses those elements to create 3 various sketches to present to the Tröegs team. For Haze Charmer, in particular, Tweed used her very own personal aesthetic. "I'm a little bit of a goth so Haze Charmer actually vibed with me," she states.

The outcome? A a little celestial, magical style incorporating constellations of El Dorado, Mosaic, Lotus, Citra jumps that captured the art-meets-science impact of Tröegs most recent hazy pale ale.

" The hop stages expose a bewitched hop concealed at night side," says Tweed in a post on Tröegs site. "And listed below drips an all-seeing eye. I grabbed my Ouija board for motivation on the woodcut-style kind.".

While Tweed's experience in craft beer has been restricted to her deal with Tröegs, comparable to Yurkovic, she has experienced her own circumstances of going unheard in mostly male sectors.

" The advertising industry is still significantly an old white boys club," said Tweed. "I'll say something in an area as well as nobody hears me, however after that 5 minutes later a man says [the precise very same thing] as well as every person thinks it's a great suggestion.".

So, exactly how can ladies be listened to in neighborhoods that frequently do not want to listen?

" We simply require extra variety and representation period. We need more women and more non-white people not just in beer, but in most industries," says Tweed. "It's always been frustrating that people feel threatened by other voices and perspectives. To me, that just makes that world a more interesting and vibrant place.".

Just as Haze Charmer is a complex melding of art, science, and a touch of magic, designing a beer label requires an equal mix of inspiration, design, and diversity. When done right all of these elements combine to create a beer identity primed to stand out on any shelf.

On the Shelf: How Suzanne Schalow Helps Breweries Tell The Stories Behind Their Beers.
craft beer cellar stocking shelves.
The last stop on a beer's journey before it makes it home to your fridge is at the retail store. It's here amongst the myriad of shelves and cases that a consumer decides which beer catches their eyes.

The beer store is an integral part of bringing a beer to life. Suzanne Schalow, Co-Founder and CEO of Craft Beer Cellar, a brick and mortar craft beer retail store with locations in 14 states, has made it her mission to help breweries tell their stories through the cans on her shelves.

For Schalow, the most important part of her job is representing each and every brewery that she showcases in the stores. "One of the things that we really etched in stone from the beginning is that we're the boots on the ground for brewers," says Schalow. "Brewers, literally the people that make the beer, need our help. So many are so brilliant and smart, but in some ways are so shy that they're not able to reach customers in ways that we can.".

By creating and developing true friendships with brewers across the country, Schalow has vaulted Craft Beer Cellar's 10-year old flagship store into one of the best in the country.

" We're emotional beings and you can't call someone a friend if you don't reach out, stay in touch, call them, and ask how things are going with the brewery or what new products they're making," says Schalow. "You have to foster those relationships. Just like an actual friendship or sibling relationship. Relationships are hard work, but brewers are so important to us and those relationships are critical.".

It's that authentic and genuine philosophy that sets Schalow apart. It's a quality she's carried with her for years, since moving to Boston in late 1996 to work on a Masters degree in what else? Intercultural Relations at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. While at school the craft beer bug bit Schalow … hard.

The History of the Craft Beer Cellar.
suzanne and kate of craft beer cellar.
" When I got to Boston I clearly remember thinking, 'holy smokes what are all these beers?'" At the time Boston taps were rife with Sam Adams, Harpoon, Tremont, Nutfield, and Shipyard beers. "I knew of beer, but only what everyone else knew- mass-produced lagers. I got super excited over all these [craft] beers.".

Following a love of beer, Schalow gravitated naturally to the restaurant industry, taking an Assistant GM position at Cambridge Common in 1999. With 24 beers on tap, the pub became Schalow's classroom. "At the time I couldn't even wrap my head around 24 beers on tap," said Schalow. "I dug in my heels and the rest is history." Schalow spent more than 11 years running Cambridge Common. All along the way trying new beers, increasing her knowledge of beer through Michael Jackson's The Great Beers of Belgium, and even sitting for the Master Cicerone exam.

an order at the craft beer cellar.
Eventually, Schalow wanted to take everything she 'd learned and strike out on her own. "Time goes by and at some point you're like holy shit I'm 35 and you end up getting stuck and then you get scared. What if I fail?," said Schalow "You go through that for a year in your head, but ultimately I had to reteach myself how to jump off the high diving board.".

Schalow took the plunge opening the first Craft Beer Cellar store with her business and life partner Kate Baker, who had worked with Schalow as a chef at Cambridge Common.

Ten years later and the female duo have not only created a successful line of businesses, but are pioneering the way as female owners in a predominantly white-male industry.

" We've taken a few hits and punches around gender discrimination," said Schalow." [In an industry] of all white males some are not able to handle the reality that two women own and run a beer franchise.".

But the hurdles haven't ever stopped the tenacious pair.

The Craft Beer Cellar Fights Discrimination in Craft Beer.
suzanne of the craft beer cellar.
" How do we combat discrimination? You rise up and focus on the positive in your life and the relationships you've fostered and people you care about. You don't give in to the negativity," says Schalow. "All we can hope to do is educate the people around us and give voice to the people that could potentially be in a similar situation.".

Some actions are simple like carrying beers with a purpose such as Finback's BREATHING: CONVERSATIONS, which fosters more productive conversations around people in minority classes, genders, and races. Or Weathered Souls' Black is Beautiful initiative, a collaborative effort in the brewing community to bring awareness to police brutality and injustices to people of color. Or even Threes Brewing's People Power, a beer that empowers people with the tools to organize locally and protect threat to civil liberties.

Other programs are more complex. "We need to participate forever from this day forward by getting our stores more involved in their communities and in conversations with people in minority situations," said Schalow. There are several Craft Beer Cellar stores that have donated to local organizations that support black and indigenous people of color to help make changes in the existing system. It's a model that Craft Beer Cellar wants to extend to all of its stores.

" It's about work. We don't claim to have all the answers, but we're working on using our voices and are committed to the current and futuristic work of changing our own mindsets," said Schalow.

In the end it comes down to those all-important relationships. Bottom line Schalow wants to support the beer featured on her shelves and bring it to life through their stories.

stocking shelves of beer at craft beer cellar.
" On a day to day basis we're storytellers and experience drivers, using our knowledge to get the information out there about the brewer and tell better stories," said Schalow.

Every beer has a story that each of these women are sharing in different ways. Whether through education on a tour, a visual identity in a new brand, or a story on a shelf, these three women are leading the industry in their respective fields, bringing the liquid we love to life in similar ways. By telling a story and by taking steps to support other women in craft beer.