Crafting Conversations: Black in Beer

 

Meet the Panelists

Josie Becker – Cellarwoman at Common Space Brewing

Josie Becker is the Assistant Brewer at Common Space Brewery in Hawthorne. This is her first job in the industry, through a series of fortunate events she was the first employee hired at Common Space and got to help build it from the ground up. Born and raised in LA county, she counts herself lucky to be amongst the breweries writing LA’s beer scene history every day. Her first commercial beer recipe, Josie’s Wit, has won gold and silver ribbons at the California State Fair. But as she’ll remind you she’s a part of making every beer at Common Space, not just the ones that win awards.

Robert Scott – Assistant Brewer at LA Ale Works

Robert Scott has been in the beer industry since 2013. Without any homebrewing experience when he first started out, his career began at Kinetic Brewing in Lancaster, CA as a dishwasher. He was hooked from the start, his interest grew from getting acquainted with the cellar, cleaning tanks and maintaining beer lines under Robert Sanchez. He then developed his first recipe and became Assistant Brewer. Shortly after that, the brewery team won a medal for Chocolate Beer at GABF 2016. Robert then moved onto State Brewing, where he served as both Assistant Brewer and Head Brewer until February of 2019. Now he works at LA Aleworks as a Brewer.

Tyler Sadler – Homebrewer & Host at Brew’d Up Podcast

Tyler Sadler is a passionate homebrewer based in the San Fernando Valley. Since she began homebrewing three years ago, Tyler has become board member of the SoCal Cerveceros Homebrew Club and co-host of a beer and homebrewing podcast called Brew’d Up! She currently works at one of Southern California’s best up and coming homebrew supply stores. Tyler believes diversity is important in the craft beer and brewing industry, and hopes to continue to motivate women who are interested in the field to go for it! Tyler’s favorite beers to drink and brew are anything crispy or funky!

Cait & Britne – Founders at Beers A’ Go Go

Beers A’ Go Go is made up of Cait and Brite, and serves as a beer enthusiast blog, aiming to diversify and create awareness in the craft beer community. From beer-tending to home brewing, and eventually contract brewing at our own brewery, we are looking to cover all aspects of the beer spectrum from a Black woman’s perspective.

Samuel Chawinga – Head Brewer / Owner of Boomtown Brewery,  Founder of PRSC
Samuel “Chewy” Chawinga was born in Blantyre, Malawi and raised in Northern California. He attended University of California, Berkeley and started homebrew​ing in 1993. Hooked, he went into it professionally in 2006, becoming Founder and Head Brewer at Boomtown Brewery, as well as Founder and COO of South Los Angeles Beverage Co. He loves learning, being creative, uplifting folks and staying positive. With his love of learning, he also has a passion for education and enlightenment. Brewing and the craft beer industry has given him space to practice all these things. His favorite thing about craft beer is the sense of community, not only in the industry — but in the local pubs all around the nation.

Meet the Moderator

Carissa Sweigart – Leader of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at The Boston Beer Company

After an early post-college career in sports management and coaching, Carissa joined The Boston Beer Company in 2004 and has been a key contributor throughout. She started as a brewery rep in Boulder, Colorado and four promotions later she became the company’s first leader of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Prior to being chosen to lead the D&I initiative, she was a co-founder of the company’s D&I Committee and a member of the LGBTQIA co-worker group. She has won awards nearly every year starting with Rookie of the Year in 2005 and earning The Brewery Patriot Award twice in 2012 and 2016. She is a Certified Cicerone and winner of the 2008 Longshot Employee Homebrew Contest.