Cheers & Chat: How Rachel AKA @brews.with.beerkowski Works for Her Beer
As the Work For Your Beer community continues to grow into new beer-centric cities across the U.S. (and all around the world!), we love getting to know the active beer-lovers that make up our wonderful, weird little niche section of the social media world — which is precisely why we started our new "Cheers & Chat" blog series.
With each post in this new series, you'll get to know some of the stellar people behind the craft beer Instagram accounts we love to follow, as well as what led them to become such an integral part of the craft beer community.
We continued last month with @thatonebeergal.
This month, we spoke with @brews.with.beerkowski — aka Rachel Benkowski of Pheonix, Arizona.
Work For Your Beer: When (and how) did your craft beer journey begin?
Rachel Benkowski: I started drinking beer when I was in graduate school at the University of Memphis in Tennessee. I would go to pub trivia with my classmates at a place called The Flying Saucer, which had tons of beer on tap from all over the world. That’s when I really started delving into trying brews that I wasn’t familiar with.
WFYB: Do you remember what your "gateway beer" was? The first one you ever tried, that got you into all the rest?
RB: It’s honestly hard for me to remember an “ah-ha” moment with a particular beer, but when living in Memphis I recall drinking a lot of Apricot Ale by Pyramid Brewing. I also remember enjoying lots of Leinenkugel's and Sam Adams, I liked to buy their variety 12-packs. There weren’t many craft breweries around in Memphis when I lived there (that was 10+ years ago!), I’d love to go back now and see how much the beer scene has changed!
WFYB: What’s your go-to beer style? And what’s one beer in that style that you’d recommend trying?
RB: I love most beer and it would be a rarity for me to turn anything down (even a domestic, shh)! However, I’ve been really drawn to Saisons or Farmhouse Ales for the past couple of years. If I’m at a brewery and they have either of these on the menu that’ll be the first beer I order, every time. I love the diversity of the style: how it can go from floral and bright, too earthy and spicy, and everywhere in-between. As far as one beer in this style, I’d have to say one of the craziest and well-done experimental examples I’ve had comes from Sedona Beer Company in Sedona, Arizona, called Saizen. It was a tequila oak-aged Saison-Weizen! Crazy huh? It was pretty mind-blowing.
WFYB: On the flip side, is there a beer style that you just can't really get into?
RB: I am not a fan of the fruited smoothie sour/Berliner Weiss trend. I just don’t get it, that stuff is not beer. Sorry, not sorry.
WFYB: Let's talk about breweries. What would you say is your favorite brewery in your area?
RB: A spot I always recommend is Simple Machine Brewing in Phoenix. They always have a wide variety of styles available, something not all breweries can provide. Marshall and Coly make fantastic beers continually, and I can’t wait to see how much they grow in the future.
WFYB: What would you say is the coolest brewery that you ever visited?
RB: For me, the environment is a huge factor when visiting a new brewery, like I want to have an experience! Barnstar Brewing Company in Skull Valley, Arizona is definitely the coolest brewery I’ve visited, thus far, in that regard. It is located literally in the middle of the high desert in central Arizona, many miles down a dirt road. Like you have to be dedicated to visiting this place. It’s located on private property and includes the brewer’s home, farm, brewhouse, and taproom. Most of the seating is outdoors amongst trees, I highly recommend making the trek!
WFYB: What’s one brewery (or beer) on your bucket list?
RB: I am a huge history nerd, and therefore I want to visit places that are historically significant, either here in the States or overseas. For example, I’d love to visit all the historic breweries in Milwaukee (even though they’re all “big beer” now, they’re still historically significant). I need to hit up Russian River Brewing because they invented the DIPA (hello Pliny!), and Sierra Nevada because they helped propel the American craft beer industry. Also, I’d love to go to a Belgium Beer Festival, and I want to drink my way around Belgium by way of monasteries!
WFYB: If someone asked you to do a beer share today, what would be the beers you’d put in your mixed pack to share with them?
RB: Great question! I'd have to say (in no particular order)
Milli Vachilli – Transplant City Beer Co.
Dank Tank – Simple Machine Brewing Company
Ruekeller Helles – The Bruery
Kiviuq – Joly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
German Chocolate Cake – Borderlands Brewing Company
Essence Rosemary IPA – Greenwood Brewing
WFYB: What is your preferred way to Work For Your Beer?
RB: I am a competitive Olympic Weightlifter, so I train for that 5 days a week, it’s the only sport I’ve ever participated in and I didn’t start competing until I was nearly 30! I’m actually going to Nationals in September, I’m so excited. Beyond the gym, I’m a super outdoorsy gal. I love hiking, kayaking, and swimming, and I’ve been an avid horseback rider since I was a small child.
WFYB: Since you’ve been a part of the craft beer community, how have you seen it change (for better or for worse)?
RB: In the grand scheme of things, I really haven’t been around for too long. I’ve worked in a brewery for 3 years now, and I started seriously putting effort into my beer Instagram a little over a year ago. I am fortunate in that my time in the brewing industry has been nothing but positive and warm, as I know this is hardly the case for so many women. One thing I have taken note of in my short stint here, is the steadfast presence of women in beer, and how it’s ever-growing. More women-owned, operated, and brewed breweries are popping up all over the place. I don’t think this is a fad, I think this is a glimpse at what the American craft beer industry is going to be. Despite the difficulties faced by being a female in a male-dominated industry, more and more women are getting involved and passionate about beer every day. I look forward to drinking a lot of women-brewed beer in the future. After all, women are historically the brewers of the world!
WFYB: What advice would you give to someone considering getting involved in the craft beer community?
RB: Just jump in. Try every beer you can get your hands on, go to as many breweries as possible, talk to the beer servers, get to know as many people in the industry as you can, get your Level 1 Cicerone. Just throw yourself into it. You’re going to learn so much from your peers, and you’re going to have a blast doing it. Remember, beer is fun! The American beer scene is just now exploding, there’s such a great future ahead for anyone in the industry, I think. So what are you waiting for?! 😊
Thank you to Rachel for taking the time to share her story with us here on the Work For Your Beer blog — and cheers to even more opportunities to chat with incredible members of the craft beer community!
Want to be considered for an upcoming feature? Email cheers@workforyourbeer.com to set up an interview!