Beth Demmon

No two days are the same for Danii Oliver. She’s the owner and brewer at Brooklyn’s Island to Island Brewery as well as a homeschooling mother of two. Like many parents who are also small business owners, Oliver’s life isn’t neatly separated into “work” and “family,” which means her kids are beside her every step of the way.
“My children are my coworkers. They are where I am,” explains Oliver. “Breweries are classrooms. They are laboratories. They are places where people come together.”
She l...

For the Eat the World feature in Saveur's "Growers" issue.
"Overshadowed by high-end viticulture, the art of growing hops for beer might not always get the recognition it deserves."

The bartenders at KINDRED, a heavy metal-themed vegan restaurant in San Diego, CA, are just as likely to be found brandishing blowtorches at garnishes as they are painstakingly arranging flower petals atop neon-hued tropical concoctions. Today, it’s increasingly common for appearances to eclipse taste in order to achieve that perfect picture to cherish forever—or at least until your Instagram story expires.

The Women’s Beer Forum, hosted by Los Angeles-based Eagle Rock Brewery, is the latest victim in a long line of so-called “gender-based discrimination” lawsuits initiated by various men’s rights activists (MRAs), who are lashing out events and promotions designed for women.

“White supremacy shut us down,” Black Star Line Brewing Company founder L.A. McCrae says. “Our world has been rocked.”

Comprehensive guide to craft beer in San Diego for BeerAdvocate's November 2017 print issue. Can also be viewed online at: https://www.beeradvocate.com/articles/16864/where-to-drink-in-san-diego-california/

Despite its flaws, the film marked a turning point for feminism and female representation in teen rom-coms.
For me and all the other mid-80s millennials, 1999 didn’t signal the end of an era. It was the start of our definitive teenage years, rich with all the compulsive hormone-driven drama that would ultimately shape us into the adults we went on to become.
1999 was the year I started high school; the year that I got what was, at the time, a state-of-the-art three-CD player on which I blaste...

Covering the binational brew day between women brewing professionals from the United States and Mexico in January 2018.

In the two years since Chalonda White launched Afro Beer Chick, a blog centered around her experiences enjoying craft beer as a Black woman, she says she’s never had any real heated exchanges with anyone on social media. But on September 9, she received an unprovoked email from a stranger.
“You are just a stupid n— that do not know shit about drinking beer. N—s do not belong in this industry because you are a bunch of whiny assholes. Go away, you stupid n— bitch.”
White turned to Twitter to d...

From voodoo ceremonies to witchy gatherings, this time of the year the city comes alive with the dead.

After earning numerous awards as brewmaster at Coronado Brewing Company, Ryan Brooks struck out on his own to focus on beers inspired by the culture and flavors of Mexico. “I’d like to shock people and have them say ‘Wow, [Mexican brewers] are making beer just as good as Belgians or Germans,’” he says. Although SouthNorte currently brews at Coronado, the goal is to find a production space near the international border. For now, Brooks is concentrating on using Mexican ingredients (chocolate, fruits, corn), and collaborations with Mexican breweries, but his individual recipes have already...

Craft beer is a billion dollar industry in San Diego, according to the latest economic impact report from California State University, San Marcos and the San Diego Brewers Guild. What’s more, craft breweries directly contributed nearly $5 million to hundreds of philanthropic organizations across the county and state in 2018 alone.
Local advocates Noemí and Jackie Rivas-Landaverde dream of redirecting some of those dollars to what they see as...

Brewers and other beer experts discuss emerging craft categories at the Great America Beer Festival 2019.

The scent of sacred smoke hung heavily in the air, strings softly strummed under deft fingers, and the full moon cast its steady light. Undulating voices echoed and bounced off pipes and gleaming vessels, and feminine figures cloaked in steam sifted through flower petals and lit candles in anticipation of midnight: the witching hour. Flanked by the priestess of a local coven, who led the blessing of the beer, and accompanied by the harmonies of witchfolk band Lenore, Natalie Rose Baldwin knew...