THIRSTYGROWLER
Northwest women in brewing
Working toward equity
in a local industry
BY WILLIAM DEAN
Christy Richards didn’t set out to be
anyone’s role model, and she certainly
didn’t ask for any help breaking barri-
ers. As one of a small handful of women
who work as professional brewers on the
North Coast, Richards flashes her radiant
smile when asked if her status is a bur-
den. In her view, it’s an opportunity.
“I would like to empower other
women, that’s my priority,” Richards
said. “I want to be a stepping stool, to
give someone that confidence they need,
or the pep talk they need, to help them be
in the beer industry,” she added.
Richards checked another box recently
when her employer, Fort George Brew-
ery in Astoria, signed off on her recipe
for a unique West Coast style IPA mark-
ing International Women’s Day. She then
started her eight barrel batch on that day
in March, flanked by other women who
work at the brewery. The beer, dubbed
Rye Side of History for its earthy rye
malt, is on tap now.
Richards is part of a wave of women
getting into brewing, a trade long dom-
inated by white men. Oregon Brew-
ers Guild executive director Christina
LaRue is hopeful that diversity is grow-
ing among brewers, but challenges per-
sist, from workplace harassment to the
“old school mentality that it’s a man’s
job,” LaRue said.
Challenging that notion, LaRue’s orga-
nization has begun subsidizing intern-
ships at breweries for women and other
minority groups in the industry. The pro-
gram is called “Mashing Barriers,” draw-
ing on a beer-making term. There are
other positive signs. The Pink Boots Soci-
ety, a nonprofit, has emerged as a valu-
able support network. And the number
of women entering fermentation science
programs at colleges, including Oregon
State University, is on the rise. “You’re
starting to see more and more women
coming into the beer industry,” LaRue
said.
For Richards, making beer wasn’t her
first experience braving a male dominated
profession. Born in the Chicago area and
8 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
William Dean
Christy Richards stands by a tank filled with
an IPA of her making, brewed in honor of
International Women’s Day.
Brews & News
The brewtopia known as Bend Brewfest
will be held on May 13 and 14. Tickets
are $40 in advance or $50 at the door for
both days and include drink tokens and a
souvenir mug. More than 65 breweries will
be pouring their best.
In Astoria, Buoy Beer Co.’s Frühlingsfest,
German for spring festival, will be held
on May 14. the event will pay homage to
lagers of all stripes. Buoy’s specialty brews
and offerings from guest breweries will be
on tap. The event runs from noon to 8 p.m.
and features live music.
Fort George’s Lupulin Ecstasy Festival is
slated for May 21. The all day event, also
including live music, is a celebration of
zesty hops and IPAs at the brewery’s wa-
terfront facility.
Christina LaRue heads the Oregon Brewers Guild.
raised in Oregon, after graduating from
an all girls’ Catholic high school in Port-
land, she enlisted in the U.S. Marine
Corps. Athletic and powerful, Richards
made the grade, serving for four years
before moving to Astoria.
Her career at the Fort started inaus-
piciously, on the canning line. But there
was something about the brewery, the
sights, sounds and smells, that intrigued
her. She began learning about beer mak-
ing. When a weekend shift for a brewer’s
Richards in February 2012, after graduating
from boot camp.
assistant opened up, she grabbed it.
Two years later, in 2018, she was pro-
moted to brewer, the only woman in Asto-
ria to have that title. She admits that it
was a lot of anxiety at first. “I didn’t want
to screw anything up. It was nerve-wrack-
ing, but I just loved it,” she said.
She’s now entrusted with a significant
slice of the brewery’s annual production,
thousands of barrels. She makes beer in
a variety of styles, often with creative
ingredients. Asked if she’s found her pas-
sion, Richards nods enthusiastically. “I
definitely think so. It naturally fell into
place, right place, right time,” she said,
“now I want to keep growing.”
William Dean is an author with a pas-
sion for craft beer. His suspense novels,
“The Ghosts We Know” and “Dangerous
Freedom” are available at Amazon and
in bookstores. Column ideas? Contact
him at williamdeanbooks@gmail.com.