Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/455266
66 / the tasting panel / january/february 2015 C ontrary to many stereotypes and stigmas, women have always loved beer. In fact, females were at the helm of making beer through most of its long and storied history. Now that the craft beer movement has proved it's here to stay, we wanted to pay homage to a few of the women whose fingerprints rest on some of the country's most exciting and well- known brands. Let me note that these ladies' accomplishments are not just remarkable because of their gender; their creations make waves within the industry on merit alone, but since woman are still underrepresented in the brewhouse, they are most definitely worth spotlighting. LAUREN SALAZAR, SPECIALTY BRAND MANAGER, NEW BELGIUM BREWING Lauren Salazar likes to get people excited, and she will undoubtedly push you to learn something along the way—Exhibit A: She ran the sensory lab at New Belgium Brewing for 13 years. Now, the woman who calls herself a "terrible brewer" manages the Fort Collin's, CO brewery's wood cellar and does the blending for their "weird beers" (again, her words, not ours). Along with other specialty brews, this lineup includes their very popular sour program, Lips of Faith, and their Hop Kitchen series. And while Salazar thoroughly enjoys wearing the new product developer hat, another aspect of the job impassions her: "I love designing programs, especially ones that educate. Then, seeing someone else take the reins of the program and make it their own is incredibly gratifying." This desire to continually give back might stem from Salazar's roots (she began working at New Belgium as she was pursuing a career in social work), but it is unquestionably, as she points out, a part of the culture at the brewery. Looking back at her 17 years in beer thus far, Salazar concludes, "I'm probably one of the luckiest people in the brewing industry. I've had wonderful opportunities and never had to swim upstream, like many people entering the field must do today." But for her, it was important to take full advantage of every opportunity given. Something we can all take to heart! Brewing Up New Expectations A LOOK AT A FEW OF THE WOMEN WHO ARE SHAPING CRAFT BEER by Emily Coleman PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW BELGIUM BREWING