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Are you a woman looking to work in craft beer? We ask female leaders to share their stories and advice

April 12, 2016Keith Gribbins

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand and the determination to apply the best of ourselves. While that price comes from within, women should still be aware of the price of their time and effort. Below is an awesome chart of average brewery salaries via craftbeer.com.

Average Brewery Salaries

Learn your women-in-beer stats

Beer’s magnetism attracts all races, all ages and all genders. One might say the diversity of craft beer in America represents the diversity of craft beer characters in the industry. While it’s easy to say one of the most passionate and character-driven demographics in the craft beer industry is women, is that really true? How many women are actually working in the beer industry? We decided to ask Bart Watson, economist for the Brewers Association (BA). Watson shared with us some interesting data from a Stanford research team, which can be attributed to Dr. Sarah Soule and Dr. Shelley Correll, both of Stanford University. Listen to these numbers:

For founder (of breweries from 2014 that were still open at the time of their research), they coded 1,993 breweries (the rest they couldn’t find info on, etc.). Of those, they found that 20 percent (399) had at least one female founder, of which 40 (2 percent) had an exclusively female founder(s).

For CEO, they coded 2,095, of which they found that 17 percent (349) had at least one female CEO — only 67 of those (3 percent) had an exclusively female CEO, the rest were co-CEOs with at least one male (typically wife/husband team). The headbrewer/brewmaster stats show the least females. They coded 1,717 and only found 4 percent (76) with a female head brewer/brewmaster. Of those, only 2 percent (38) were exclusively female.

In all, they were able to code at least one of those categories for 2,536 breweries. Of those 21 percent (543) had at least one woman as founder/CEO/or brewmaster/head brewer.

While this information is a few years old, we can see that women still have an enormous space to grow within the brewing industry. According to the Beer Institute, the industry supports some 1.75 million American jobs, and it’s growing aggressively — craft breweries specifically. In 2015, craft brewers produced 24.5 million bbls and saw a 13 percent rise in volume and a 16 percent increase in retail dollar value. Craft breweries already support an ethos of community empowerment, environmentalism and charity, so why not increasing gender equality? It seems like a natural fit.

Sarah Green SweetWater brewing brewing
Sarah Green, self-taught and successful as a professional craft brewer.

In terms of sheer economics, we will definitely need more women as workers and as beer drinkers in order for the industry to grow. Looking at the stats, younger women are identifying more with beer and craft beer specifically. On women as customers, here’s some Nielsen data via Watson and the BA. The percent in the graph is the percent of craft volume that a group consumes. The second is their “index” where 100 means that group consumes the same percent as their percent in the population, so young women overindex on craft and older women under-index.

        Females 21-24 4.2% 114
        Females 25-34 10.4% 113
        Females 35-44 6.5% 72
        Females 45-54 4.8% 48
        Females 55-64 3.9% 42
        Females 65-74 1.3% 21
        Females 75 or More 0.5% 11

“I think one reason that the 21- to 34-year-old female group overindexes is that craft brewers don’t market to gender at all — they market to beer lovers,” explained Watson. “There are certainly still small brewers that return to the more traditional male-centric beer marketing, but in general, craft brewers are marketing to their local community regardless of gender. I actually can’t think of too many female-specific marketing campaigns, but your average small brewer is simply using gender-neutral marketing.”

Once you’re finished reading, enjoy these eco-friendly brewing tips from craft brewing professionals.

Get some advice from top women in brewing

Armed with all of this info, how do you translate your enthusiasm into an actual job? Some people get their start with a cold application. Just waltz right into your favorite local brewery and let them know that you are interested in working hard. Drop off your resume to HR or finagle lunch and a beer with a hiring manager. Just be ready to say things like, “I’ll do just about anything you need me to do around here” because competition is fierce (regardless of gender). Volunteering to give tours, help with odd jobs or work events is also a great way to build some beer cred. Once you do find that open position, here’s some solid advice from women who are already very successful in the beer industry.

Marina Koulogeorge

women in craft beerSales representative-Chicago with Louis Glunz Beer Inc.

As far as advice goes for women looking to join the industry, I would say be strong and be yourself. While this might still be considered a male-dominated industry, I encourage women to join. I really thank Louis Glunz Beer Inc. for their extensive education and training for sales reps across product knowledge. Knowing your portfolio and your competitor’s portfolio is key. Educate yourself, too — there are so many ways to expand your knowledge of the industry, from books to websites and more. It’s also extremely important to know your customers, get to know their customers and pay attention to what consumers are buying. Gain the trust of your customers by building relationships and that will truly go a long way. This job can be challenging, but it’s an extremely rewarding one to have if you’re passionate about the industry. Your work ethic will pay off more than you know, so plan on working hard and staying strong, and lastly, enjoy it.

Sarah Green

Brewer with SweetWater Brewing Co.

Sarah Green SweetwaterBe passionate and ready to work your ass off but don’t lose your sense of humor. You’ll work 10, 12, 14 hour days; a sense of humor (and beer) helps everyone get through the long hours. If you don’t have experience, get your foot in the door at a brewery in any way possible. Be a regular in the tap room, volunteer to help the brewers shovel spent grain out, hand bottle or can or volunteer to pour at fests. The most important piece of advice given to me when I started brewing: Always ask questions and never stop asking why. Five brewers will give you five different ways of doing the same process at the same brewery. Know why. A fresh pair of eyes is a fresh perspective. You might see a more efficient way of doing a process, so speak up if you think of a better way.

Emily Erler

Retail sales manager-Chicago with the Global Beer Network

Emily ErerWhen gearing up for the position with Global Beer Network, a couple words of wisdom that I think helped me: Make eye contact. One way I have found to be taken seriously is really a small detail, but look whomever in the eye when you’re interviewing. It shows confidence and it shows you mean business! When you interview for a beer industry position, you are likely speaking to a fellow beer lover or nerd, so the whole “fake it till you make it” only goes so far. You never know when your interviewer will ask you about IBU and ABV ranges for specific beer styles (yes, this has happened to me before). Lastly, a piece of advice from my old man: Go with the firm handshake. No wimpy wrists.

Emily Parker

Emily Schafly Director of brewery operators at Schlafly Beer

First things first: “It’s always been this way” is bull. It’s an excuse for complacency. Every day in the brewery, you can and will be confronted with countless decisions and situations. Face every single one of those with the confidence that if you don’t know the answer right then, it is OK. You will not have all the answers all the time, but you open yourself up to growth and trustworthiness when you can answer “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out.” But here’s the key — go figure it out! Know when you don’t know, but also know you can find the answer. Sometimes the people around you can be your best resource. Leveraging your team, your combined knowledge and your trust in each other will help you face any challenge and work toward finding the answers you need.

Lindsey Kingry

Lindsey Kingry SweetWater Brewing Brewer with SweetWater Brewing Co.

The best advice I can give another woman trying to enter the craft brewing business is study, study and study some more. Pick a brewing education program that fits your needs. Read as many MBAA or ASBC articles as you can. Follow blogs that keep you informed on the industry [ahem]. Put yourself in a position so that when you walk into an interview or your first day at a new job you know what it is all about. Education and knowledge is power, and it is something no one can ever take away from you.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jaime Peña Gonzalez says

    April 15, 2016 at 11:08 am

    There is an amazing beer called Cerveza Slavia in Chile that is made by two brewsisters?

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  2. Konan Schön says

    April 13, 2016 at 5:21 pm

    Konan Schön liked this on Facebook.

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  3. Bruno Faria says

    April 13, 2016 at 5:21 pm

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  4. BreweryInsure says

    April 13, 2016 at 9:31 am

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Are you a woman looking to work in craft beer? We ask female leaders to share their advice. https://t.co/Rd7FCkaW09

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  5. Dot Edge Reifinger says

    April 13, 2016 at 5:21 am

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    April 13, 2016 at 5:21 am

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  7. Hannah Kivi says

    April 13, 2016 at 5:21 am

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  8. Hannah Kivi says

    April 13, 2016 at 2:12 am

    Love it!

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  9. Lindsay Adkins says

    April 12, 2016 at 9:21 pm

    Lindsay Adkins liked this on Facebook.

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  10. Jaime Peña Gonzalez says

    April 12, 2016 at 9:21 pm

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  11. Kim Gunn says

    April 12, 2016 at 9:21 pm

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  12. Beth Demmon Ivey says

    April 12, 2016 at 9:21 pm

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  13. Wilson Hede says

    April 12, 2016 at 8:33 pm

    Jayne Siobhan

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  14. AjaxBeerFest says

    April 12, 2016 at 5:39 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Are you a woman looking to work in craft beer? We ask female leaders to share their advice. https://t.co/Rd7FCkaW09

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  15. Solène Ronnaux-Baron says

    April 12, 2016 at 5:21 pm

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  17. Walter K Maier says

    April 12, 2016 at 1:21 pm

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  18. Walter K Maier says

    April 12, 2016 at 1:10 pm

    Bunch of impressive women in the NJ beer scene too.

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  19. BoshkungBrewing says

    April 12, 2016 at 1:05 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Are you a woman looking to work in craft beer? We ask female leaders to share their advice. https://t.co/Rd7FCkaW09

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Trackbacks

  1. Alewives, Not Witches | Rural Roots Brewing Company says:
    March 17, 2024 at 2:08 pm

    […] gender bias seems to persist in smaller craft breweries as well. A study at Stanford University found that while 17% of craft beer breweries have one female CEO, only 4% of these businesses […]

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  2. Women used to dominate the beer industry – until the witch accusations started pouring in - Alternet.org says:
    March 6, 2021 at 9:54 am

    […] gender bias seems to persist in smaller craft breweries as well. A study at Stanford University found that while 17% of craft beer breweries have one female CEO, only 4% of these businesses […]

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  3. ALEWIFE MUCH? A SUPER BRIEF HISTORY OF WOMEN & BEER - The Brick Magazine says:
    April 15, 2020 at 9:10 pm

    […] and only 17% of breweries (349 at the time) had female CEOs. Of those breweries, only 3% (67) had a solo female CEO. The rest were co-CEOs with a male, such as a husband/wife team. Only 4% of breweries (76) had a […]

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  4. L.A.’s Latina Brewers Seeing ‘Cultural Shift’ | Beer Brewing Kit says:
    June 14, 2019 at 3:03 am

    […] Toledo and her husband are currently working on perfecting their homebrew recipes and scouting spaces to transition their homebrew operation, Maltitude Brewing, into a brick and mortar location. Once the brewery opens, Toledo would be joining a small minority of women in top brewery roles. […]

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  5. L.A.’s Latina Brewers Seeing ‘Cultural Shift’ says:
    June 13, 2019 at 10:10 am

    […] Toledo and her husband are currently working on perfecting their homebrew recipes and scouting spaces to transition their homebrew operation, Maltitude Brewing, into a brick and mortar location. Once the brewery opens, Toledo would be joining a small minority of women in top brewery roles. […]

    Log in to Reply
  6. Debemos agradecer a las mujeres por la cerveza, según la historia - Mural de Género says:
    September 22, 2018 at 9:22 am

    […] estadísticas son difíciles de obtener, pero un estudio realizado por un equipo de investigación de la Universidad de Stanford descubrió que el 20 por […]

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  7. Brian-Flaherty.com | According To History, We Can Thank Women For Beer says:
    September 17, 2018 at 8:47 pm

    […] are hard to come by, but a study by a Stanford University research team found that 20 percent of American breweries open in 2014 had […]

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  8. How to Break into the Craft Brewing Industry as a Woman – sheBOOM says:
    March 20, 2018 at 11:31 am

    […] Craft Brewing Business is featuring women who are making a splash on the brewing industry. Read advice directly from these successful women, here. […]

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  9. ‘Here You Are, Have This’ How Female Brewers are Shaking Up the Craft Beer Industry – Your Flee Of Wellbeing says:
    January 29, 2018 at 2:41 pm

    […] She argues craft beer is part of the solution, not the source of the problem. She also points to Stanford University research which surveyed more than 2,500 breweries and found 21% had at least one woman in a top role. […]

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  10. Sisters are brewing it for themselves | Beer Piper says:
    July 19, 2017 at 11:40 am

    […] Stanford University research team in 2014 found that 21% of US breweries had at least one woman as founder, CEO or Head Brewer. The […]

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  11. Female brewer leads the pack at Ogden’s Roosters Brewing – Standard Examiner Food says:
    May 4, 2017 at 1:34 pm

    […] publications report that only 4 percent of brewers in American breweries are women, and Utah certainly isn’t […]

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