Though large-scale commercial brewing has often been considered a masculine field, small-scale craft brewing historically happened at home and was overseen by women. These women tweaked their small-batch brewing processes and developed recipes for personal tastes, incorporating available and seasonal ingredients. Now, a growing number of women have reclaimed industry roles, seizing the opportunity to be part of the process at all stages and levels. Not only has their involvement impacted the taste of the beer, they’ve also made important contributions to our local communities and economies. We talked with three women in the Beerwerks community and learned about their experiences as bartenders, general managers, and co-owners of breweries. Raise your glass to women in the craft beer business along the Beerwerks Trail.
Zone A – Savannah Carlson, Bartender – Elkton Brewing Company
Savannah Carlson pursued her role as a bartender at Elkton Brewing Company because she wanted to connect with her community. The brewery, situated in Elkton near Massanutten Resort, Shenandoah National Park, and the South Fork of the Shenandoah River, “was a common gathering place” for both locals and travelers visiting the area.
Carlson says that a typical day involves changing out kegs and reviewing the day’s tap menu, “familiarizing myself with what we have to offer so I can help lead customers to something they will enjoy.” She also makes sure the taproom is clean and welcoming so that the community will gather. It makes her happy to see the beer bringing people together. “I look forward to and enjoy seeing all the different types of gatherings through our beer, from old friends meeting up, a work party, to celebrations/birthdays, or our regulars coming in after a long day.”
Visiting Elkton soon? Carlson recommends having her pour you a tart black cherry and orange sour Crawford’s Cat, which is currently on tap. Though it’s not always available, the oyster stout is her favorite. “I always look forward to that being on tap.”
Zone B – Amanda Clark, General Manager – Redbeard Brewing Company
Photo by Grow Explore Photography
After spending over a decade in Los Angeles, Amanda Clark returned home to Staunton in 2013. Since she loves visiting breweries to taste beer and tap into the local culture when she travels, she applied for a part-time job at Redbeard Brewing Company, which had recently opened. “I enjoyed breweries so much, I thought it would be fun to work at one and learn more about the process.” She began working behind the bar in December 2013 and eventually earned promotion to full-time taproom manager and later to general manager. “I am now coming up on my ten-year anniversary working here as their GM!” She loves working at Redbeard because she gets to meet so many “cool people” including friendly regulars, new faces, and the fun groups who come for business meetings and community functions.
Clark says a typical day managing front-of-house operations involves “a little bit of everything.” That includes ordering supplies, doing payroll, scheduling staff, and more. Her favorite parts of the job are event planning and graphic design. She helps design Redbeard’s merch, beer labels, event posters, and website. “I love to get my creative juices flowing and have a TV post-production background from my days in Los Angeles. So anytime I can get creative, I love it!”
To women who are interested in entering the craft beer industry, Clark offers this advice, “Stay true to yourself. Don’t be intimidated by being the only female in the room sometimes. Stay strong and don’t be afraid to speak up. Go for your goals, learn all you can, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
And if you want to know what Redbeard brews to try, she suggests the light, crisp Two Moons German-style pilsner, which is perfect any time of year. At the opposite end of the spectrum, she also loves the Moriarty bourbon-barrel-aged Imperial stout, usually released in late September or early October every year.
Zone C – Jenefer Davies, Co-owner – Heliotrope Brewery
When we asked Jenefer Davies, co-owner of Heliotrope Brewery in Lexington what inspired her to pursue a role in the craft beer industry, she told us that she and her husband (Erik Jones) wanted to create a welcoming and community-driven corner pub for friends and families to gather. Jones attended brewing school and originally planned a career at a large brewery. “However,” Davies reports, “he realized quite quickly that his love of brewing is grounded in the creation of recipes and the research and development process for making really good beer. We knew that in order for him to pursue his passion, we’d need complete control of the process.”
Coupling her experience in management and his brewing school background, they opened Heliotrope. “Working with my husband is a dream. We are great collaborators and we both get excited about new, inventive ideas in the brewhouse and the kitchen.”
Davies handles front-of-the-house responsibilities, ordering, payroll, hiring, and more. Since she also works full time as a professor at Washington and Lee University, ongoing communication with her staff is crucial. It starts early in the morning with texts and GroupMe messages with her staff. She maintains email and phone communication with her general manager throughout the day, and runs “over to the taproom whenever something new comes up/breaks/gets lost.”
We asked Davies about women’s struggles in the craft beer industry. She doesn’t want to generalize her entire gender’s experience, but she feels “women in this industry face challenges similar to those faced as a woman in the world.” She said that while there can be microaggressions and times women are overlooked or neglected, “overwhelmingly, I’ve felt respected and supported by men who are customers at our brewery and from brewers and owners at all of our neighboring breweries.”
Davies offers the following advice to other women interested in entering the craft beer industry. “Go into it with your eyes open. Read and research and maybe intern for a bit to get a feel for your particular situation. Women are breaking new ground. Doing the work and changing the culture can be tough, but it can also be very exciting.”
Want a great beer to sip while you contemplate these ideas? Try the Nebular Velvet, on tap at Heliotrope.
Next time you travel the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail, make sure to chat with one of the women adding leadership, creativity, and support to these important businesses!