International Women’s Day: Emily Byrne, brewer with Schlafly Beer, shares five tips for women in beer

Today is International Women’s Day, and women all over the beer industry are getting together for celebrations, ranging from brewing collaborations to parties supporting female-focused non-profits. I highly suggest you read our running thread on IWD events going on all over the United States today.

Saint Louis Brewery and its Schlafly brand specifically reached out to us wanting to contribute something for today. Emily Byrne, brewer with Schlafly Beer, was kind enough to provide some great insights for women working or wanting to work in beer. Byrne has been a brewer with Schlafly Beer since 2015. She has been a brewer at both the Schlafly Tap Room, where Schlafly brews a lot of its specialty brews, and Schlafly Bottleworks, Schlafly’s larger brewing and bottling line. The 28-year-old brewer graduated from the University of Missouri in 2013 with a degree in Food Sciences and immediately joined the brewing industry in 2013.

Here are Byrne’s five tips for women in brewing:

Be confident! The beer industry can be tough to break into and definitely was for me as a young woman. Don’t let that discourage you from pursuing your dream job.
Get involved. Meet the people in your local beer scene and attend industry events. Not only is the beer community wonderful to be a part of, but it will encourage other female craft beer enthusiasts to pursue jobs in beer.
Never be afraid to ask questions. It’s a huge part of the learning process and as the saying goes, there is no such thing as a stupid question.
Become a member of the Pink Boots Society or Girls Pint Out. Every woman in the beer industry can benefit from the knowledge, opportunities and sense of community that these organizations can give you.
Have fun! The joy and excitement of working in the beer industry is something that is never lost on me. Love what you do and have a great time doing it.

Cheers, Emily.