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years , I ran Ragged Island . Matt and Katie were awesome to work for . I had no intent on leaving but when ’ Gansett knocks on your door , you answer the call .
Craft Beer , Wine , Spirits & food done right !
Rhode Island ’ s newest Brewery & Tavern
Mon 5 PM - EOG | Wed & Thurs 3 PM - 10:30 PM Fri 3 PM - 11:30 PM Sat 11 AM - 11:30 PM | Sun 11 AM - 10 PM
7835 Post Rd ., North Kingstown , RI 401-661-9662 | WestPassageBrewing . com
GREAT BEER AND A DELICIOUS BITE
TAP ROOM HOURS :
TUES-THURS 4PM-10PM FRI 4PM-11PM SAT 12PM-11PM SUN 12PM-9PM
KITCHEN CLOSES 1 HOUR BEFORE TAR ROOM
401.681.4321 APPONAUGBREWING . COM
Lee , did you learn to brew on your own ? Lee : I started from the ground up . From mopping the floors to cleaning the tanks , I gained experience . Through the Pink Boots Society , I was able to get a scholarship to UC Davis [ University of California , Davis ] for their brew program .
Did that help you perfect your technique ? Lee : Yes , absolutely , and it opened more doors . It was a brewing sciences intensive course . I learned brewing theory , the science behind the brews , and about the raw ingredients : the barley , the hops and everything like that .
You ’ ve created great beers for Narragansett . I know there ’ s a Pink Boots Society beer . Lee : That was one of our first brews . We donated some proceeds to the Pink Boots Society , and that goes straight into scholarships for women in the beverage industry .
It ’ s an important time for women in beer . I ’ ve seen social media calling out sexism and harassment in the industry through Brienne Allan , production manager at Notch Brewing in Salem , Massachusetts (@ RatMagnet on Instagram ). You are really influential , in terms of women in brewing . Why do you think it ’ s important to speak up ? Lee : Visibility is everything . The more we ’ re represented in beer , the more chances we ’ re going to have . It ’ s becoming less of a novelty and more mainstream . It would be great to get to the point where gender is a non-issue . Just be the best brewer you can be .
Yes , you should have a voice without that being the statement . What are your favorite types of beers to brew ? Lee : Here in this facility on this new system with our brand-new lagering tanks , I would have to say the old-world lagers . They are so much fun . We try to keep close to classic styles .
94 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l NOVEMBER 2021