Women in the Beer Industry panel at Craft Beer Week

Carol Stoudt, Susan Greene, Jennifer Schwertman, Sarah Lescrauwart-Beach, Debbie Boening

On Tuesday, September 15, Maggie Fuller of Beer Ethos moderated a discussion panel of women from all over the beer industry, from brewing, to distribution, to marketing to bartending.  All of the panelists share a love of good quality craft beer, and a drive to share that love, educating beer consumers about savoring beer, and finding great beer and food pairings.  Speaking of beer and food pairings- the event featured brews from Stoudt's, Ommegang and Dogfish Head, all of which paired deliciously with cheese from Murray's.

The panelists were: Debbie Boening, President and CEO of Oak Beverages, a family-run beer wholesale distributor; Susan Greene, General Sales Manager for the Global Brewers Guild; Sarah Lescrauwart-Beach, Market Manager of Ommegang Brewery ; Jennifer Schwertman, bartender for the Blind Tiger Ale House and self-described "craft beer geek;" and Caroline Stoudt, President and Brewmaster of Stoudt's Brewery. 

Guided by Maggie's questions, the discussion ranged from personal stories about defining beer moments, to the evolution of the craft beer movement. Together, they represented just about every stage in a beer's journey to your glass- from creation, to marketing, to distribution, to being on a bar or restaurant's beer menu.

Stoudt's Pils, one of their flagship beers, was, Caroline Stoudt remembers, inspired by her honeymoon in Germany, learning to appreciate beer styles alongside her beer enthusiast husband.  After her children were in school, she began getting involved in brewing. Both during the panel, and in conversation before and after, Stoudt exulted in the fun and playfulness of experimenting with new beer styles, and different ingredients in "creative one-offs," like seasonal brews.

Sarah Lescrauwart-Beach moved to the US from her native Belgium four years ago. "It was either work for the brewery, or start answering phones for the Belgian consulate," she joked. "It's exciting to be around Americans who love good beer!" Beer culture in Belgium, she says, is different, in that there are many dishes cooked with beer, and then paired with another beer.

With a slightly mischievous grin, Debbie Boening described the role of a beer distributor as "the tax collectors," making sure that all of the taxes and shipping costs are paid properly to get beer where it needs to be. Her evocative description of beer as liquid bread captured the craft beer and food pairing movement perfectly. "You don't want Wonderbread all the time, do you?  No, you want flavorful, distinctive beer."

Susan Greene traces her experience of craft beer across restaurants, saying that "for New York restaurants, beer has often been an afterthought on the menu," and that pairing beer and food has only started to come into focus, through increasingly educated consumers, in the past six years or so, as part of an ongoing, evolving process.  Education, she says, is key to any career path in the beer industry for men and women- learning about the different jobs, the process as a whole, as well as developing the language to talk about the taste.

Jennifer Schwertman sees a bartender's role as a beer advocate, knowing that "there is a beer to suit everyone's palate" and working in partnership between the local consumer, and local brewers and distributors. Reminiscing about returning from trips to the West Coast, her suitcases heavy with craft beer she could only get in the Pacific Northwest, she enthused about the craft beer movement taking hold at breweries closer to home.

In a smart, wide-ranging discussion of beer craft and taste, food pairings became an integral part of the discussion. Maggie Fuller asked: What beer would you have with your absolutely last meal, and what beer would you drink?

Susan, who loves dry Belgian brews, would pair a Malheur 12 Quad with a good Porterhouse steak, evoking both her nostalgia for her steak-loving father, and her in-depth knowledge of beer styles.

Jennifer would pair pork belly with Rut de Espis, a green peppercorn-infused beer from Montreal's Dieudeuciel Brewery. 

Carol's answer depended on the seasons: "If I die in the summer, give me cold water lobster tail and pilsner.  In winter, foie gras, with a Fat Dog."

Sarah's answer reflected her native pride: a Belgian La Chouffe IPA, with a meal of endives, ham and cheese sauce.

Debbie, a Massapequa native, knew what she'd eat: a burger, fries and onion rings from Massapequa's All American Burger. After asking "can we do flights? I don't want to pick just one beer!" she settled on Yuengling.

Each of the panelists mused about the notion that the craft and business of beer is male dominated, and that women who like beer are often seen as an exception, or a rarity. Caroline Stoudt pointed out that brewing beer had been women's work, in medieval Europe, and is still women's domain in many African nations. Why, then, would a female beer distributor or marketer be greeted with raised eyebrows in a bar?  The answer, all the panelists agree, comes down to beer being marketed to men, or people making assumptions about women not drinking beer.  Even though it sometimes feels like a boys club, Jennifer observes that the beer industry "has always welcomed and liked smart women."

Noting that more women are asking specific questions as they order beer, Jennifer observed that the differences between beer palates are individual, not about gender. Susan agreed: "Men and women who say they don't like beer haven't found the beer they like yet!"

"The idea that women don't like beer is a myth, Carol Stoudt proclaimed. "We like what we like, and it's about learning to talk about it, learning to serve it and enjoy it with good quality food."

This woman can drink to that!  Cheers!

NY Beer Pairing Craft Beer Week '09 posts:

NYC Craft Beer Week: Sept 11-20

Craft Beer Week Dinner at the Redhead

Also check out other Examiners' recaps.

NY Craft Beer Examiner

NY Drinks Examiner

NY Food Scene Examiner