A chat about beer, brewing and the dream of becoming a brewer
Loving beer and blogging about it in three different languages? That is not a problem for Emily from Venezuela. Happily for us, Emily will not only be writing for her own blog from now on but for our blog as well.
How and when did your passion for beer begin?
My passion for beer started six years ago. When I went to Colombia for a holiday trip I visited the Bogotá Beer Company. I was able to try several different types of beer and one of them in particular caught my attention: Cajicá Miel. It was love at “first taste”, although it is not my favorite beer anymore. As soon as I returned to Venezuela I could not get the idea out of my head that I wanted to learn how to make beer that tasted similar to Cajicá Miel. Luckily enough I was able to take a course about craft beer.
After I finished my Bachelor of Science in biology I decided to do a master degree in the field of beer-brewing. I found out that Germany would be one of the best places to fulfill my dream of becoming a master brewer. I started learning German and because I needed to gain some work experience in a brewery, I happily accepted the opportunity to work as an apprentice brewer at the Polar Brewery in Venezuela.
Why did you start your blog about beer and not about wine or cocktails, perhaps?
Beer is my passion, it is what I love. I am not passionate about beer because I want to get drunk. I love to drink beer because I love the process behind it, the science that surrounds it. I enjoy all the different flavors, especially when I am able to identify some of them. These are the reasons that motivated me to create my blog back in August 2016. I want to tell the world all the incredible things about beer. I am fascinated by other (beer) cultures. And I love to make visits to breweries while talking to the people there. The reason why I do not write about wine or cocktails is simple: I just do not like them as much as I like beer!
Through the blog I am also able to practice my German and English because my articles are written in Spanish, English and German.
Why did you decide to pursue your passion for beer as a profession and not just as a hobby?
My motto always has been: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.“ Once I knew I wanted to become a master brewer, I did everything to pursue it as a professional career. It is the one thing I love, why should I not turn my passion into a professional career?!
You will be starting your apprenticeship as a master brewer and beer sommelier in April in Germany. What is most appealing to you in your work as a master brewer?
Making beer is a learning-by-doing process. Every single day you have to deal with something new, you are never fully prepared. But that is a challenge I am willing to accept and actually really enjoy. What matters most to me at the end of the day is how good and unique the beer tastes that I produced.
Do you feel like it is uncommon or something special to work in the brewing industry as a woman?
Society definitely thinks it is something special, however I do not feel the same way. Of course there are still more men working in the brewery business but there are women all over the world making incredible beer. I am proud as a woman to be part of this business. Sure being a woman and working in this industry is not always easy. But there will always be people who think women should not be working in particular businesses or professions. In the end, if you know what you want and where you want to go, these kinds of things will not hold you back.
Thank you for your time, Emily! I am really looking forward to reading your first article here on our blog.
