Beth Demmon

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

If there’s still any question as to whether women are finally staking a serious claim in the beer industry, one need only look at the work of Pink Boots Society. Founded in 2007 by Teri Fahrendorf, the organization was created to “to assist, inspire and encourage women beer industry professionals to advance their careers through education.”
To say they’ve broken barriers is an understatement. There are now chapters in Spain, Hong Kong, New Zealand, across the United States and there are no si...

Since opening in 2015, Second Chance Beer Company co-founders Curtis Hawes, Marty Mendiola, and Virginia Morrison have focused on “crafting traditional and innovative beers of the highest quality”. From their award-winning Tabula Rasa porter to one of my personal favorite Extra Pale Ales, they’ve pretty much nailed it.
That dedication to restrained, yet bold brews is poised to continue into their latest venture. Dubbed “The Barrel Experience”, Second Chance is finally ready to release their a...

Contributor to the 2018 West Coaster Magazine "Best Beers" roundup (compiled by Brandon Hernandez)

There’s no escaping fate. Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (played by Gene Wilder) famously screamed about “destiny!” in the 1974 comedic classic Young Frankenstein, but when it comes to family legacies, Stephanie Eppig was as fated to open a brewery as Wilder’s character was to reanimating dead tissue.
Like Wilder’s Frankenstein, Stephanie also brought something back to life—her family’s brewing legacy. She’s the great granddaughter of Henry Joseph Eppig, who was part of the dynastic Brooklyn beer...

Contributor to West Coaster Magazine's 2018 "Best Breweries" article (compiled by Brandon Hernandez)

The Sacramento-based California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA) throws the annual California Craft Beer Summit each year as “two full days of education, networking and trade shows for brewers, retailers, distributors, craft beer lovers, and homebrewers.” It’s basically a homegrown mini-Great American Beer Festival, where industry professionals can rub elbows with other Golden State big boys like Sierra Nevada and Firestone Walker.