Beer brewing has historically been a male-dominated industry that few women have been able to break into. However, with the relatively recent influx of craft and micro breweries around the country, more and more women are making their way to the forefront of the scene.
Bend Brewing Company’s master brewer Tonya Cornett has seen massive success, winning awards at festivals like the Great American Beer Festival, and there are a spattering of women brewers up in Portland and around the state, but only one in Eugene. Oakshire Brewing’s Dana Robles holds that coveted position and is looking to expand her fellow female brewers’ numbers in the commercial scene.
Robles first became interested in beer by helping a friend who homebrewed and soon found that she had developed a deep passion for good beer. She went on to work at the Bier Stein selling bottles of artisan, handmade beer and finally settled at Oakshire’s tasting room. From there she was encouraged by friends to pursue brewing, and it was only a matter of time before that career materialized.
She started taking courses to fulfill prerequisites for brewing school, and in January of last year, she went down to UC Davis, where she began the school’s six-month brewing program. The program explored all aspects of brewing from the chemistry down to the minor details influencing taste and quality.
“I felt pretty challenged the whole time, and what I got out of it is that I really understand now how quality consistency is in beer,” Robles said. “I have such an in-depth understanding of what brewing is and how it all works from the water that you use — quality of the water and the composition of the water — to how the grain was malted, to how much yeast to use and those sorts of elements.”
Robles came back to Oakshire Brewing mid-June and began brewing full time as an Assistant Brewer. And although she is a “shift brewer” and sticks to brewing Oakshire’s year-round staples, her creative freedom is expanding just as the brewery is.
“We’re growing, and craft beer is really kind of blowing up, and Oakshire is doing really well,” Robles said. “I’ve taken on a lot of responsibilities at the brewery, and I do a lot more.”
Oakshire is helping promote women’s involvement with the brewing process, and it is hosting “Teach A Girl To Brew.” The event is an open forum where there will be five brewers on hand to demonstrate the brewing process, take questions and chat with attendees.
“A customer can come in, get a pint and just walk around,” Robles said. “You don’t need to sit and be present for the whole process, but if you wanted you could. And I’m pretty sure every brewer will be in a different stage of the process, which will be good for someone that can only stop in for an hour.”
One of the most effective and revealing parts of “Teach A Girl To Brew” is how it will demystify the brewing process for onlookers. Both malt extract and all grain recipes will be used.
As far as the future of women in the brewing industry, things are looking up. Robles attributes the rise in craft beer’s popularity to a likely increase in the number of women entering the scene in the next 10 years or so.
“I’ve met women that have applied to breweries, that want to work in breweries; I’ve met girls that are on their way wanting to go to school,” Robles said. “So I think it was something that was not really in the forefront of people’s minds before. But now that craft beer is so big, everyone is kind of realizing that it’s an option and that they can do it themselves.”
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Forum encourages women to brew up a storm
Daily Emerald
March 2, 2011
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