Breaking beer’s glass ceiling: How St. Louis brewers are helping brew more diverse suds

Beer, like most other industries, is trying to meet the challenge of becoming more diverse.

Research from the trade industry group Brewers Association shows 92% of brewers at businesses throughout the country are men and 85% of the total production staff.

“Seeing how much that number is male-heavy I think is a little bit surprising,” said association chief economist Bart Watson.

“Beer is not exclusively loved by men. You know, women love beer too.”

Efforts to shift away from a male-dominated industry can be found in the St. Louis region.

“Women can brew. Just like we can do anything else,” said Abbey Spencer, the head brewer at Third Wheel Brewing in St. Peters.

She became a big craft beer fan after moving to the area from Chicago a few years ago. Spencer tried some brews at a local watering hole, which led to enrolling at a free beer school and eventually a new career.

“This fun little hobby of trying craft beer eventually morphed into home brewing,” she said while working among the shiny silver brewing tanks this summer at the operation just off I-70 in St. Charles County. “Eventually it morphed into me creating this women's craft beer club and homebrew group. And then eventually working in the industry and then it led me here.”