Meet the Team: Mel Fox, Co-Founder at Work For Your Beer
If you've been on the Work For Your Beer Instagram, then you've probably seen a good amount of Mel's work. While she shoots all of the photography and videography for Work For Your Beer, Mel also manages the web design, event planning, merch, and miscellaneous business operations (accounting, legal, etc.).
Mel moved to Charlotte, NC in 2013, and she is rocking out as a Marketing Director in her day job. You'll see her romping around NoDa (possibly riding her adult tricycle) with her Corgi, Sir Pancake Bacon, and her husband, Alan.
While Mel's strong suit is definitely the visual side of things, she did her best to answer some questions using her words below. Enjoy!
Your name: Mel Fox
Your Instagram handle: @melmelfox
Your city: Charlotte, NC
Your Occupation: Co-Founder of Work For Your Beer + Director of Marketing Operations at Lurn Inc.
When (and how) did your craft beer journey begin?
Technically, my journey began at Penn State when I had a group of friends who were dedicated to getting me to like craft beer. I had always associated beer with Natty Light (and would always insist I didn’t like beer), and their goal was to get me to like good beer. It worked (after many failed attempts), but I didn’t really start understanding how much I really loved the variety of beer until I left PSU.
I moved to Indianapolis out of school and went to quite a few beer festivals where I was able to try a plethora of beer styles. When I moved to Charlotte in 2013, the brewery scene was EXPLODING. When I got married in 2015, my bachelorette party was a brewery tour, and my reception was at Primal Brewing in Huntersville. Needless to say: craft beer had become a part of my life. Starting Work For Your Beer in 2016 allowed me to embed myself in a community I have always been so fond of.
What was your “gateway” craft beer, AKA the first one you tried that made you want to get into craft beer?
The first beer I ever liked was Otto’s Apricot Wheat out of State College, PA! This was the one beer I didn't hand back to my friends as they were trying to get me to enjoy craft beer. It was a pleasant surprise, and I still grab one every time I'm back at Penn State.
What’s your go-to beer style? And what’s one beer in that style that you’d recommend trying?
My go-to style has been sours for the last couple of years. I am hooked. One style that I’ve found I really enjoy, but would generally never pick off of a menu, is a good Red Ale.
Is there a beer style out there that you just canNOT get into? If so, what?
There are definitely a few I’ve tried that have just been a little too much for me. The first one I thought was any form of a smoked ale. (The ones that we constantly think taste like lunch meat.)
I also am not fond of insanely boozy BBA brews. If I want bourbon, I’ll just drink bourbon, kay?
What’s your favorite brewery in your area?
This is a loaded question, and I get it often. I’m going to give a few responses, and please note: I live in NoDa, so I am absolutely biased.
Favorite brewery to take anyone visiting Charlotte: Salud Cerveceria
Favorite brewery to casually drink at with our dog: Divine Barrel Brewing
Favorite brewery to get food at: Heist Brewery
Favorite brewery to attend events at: tie between NoDa Brewing & Devil’s Logic Brewing
Favorite lowkey brewery: Petty Thieves Brewing
Favorite brewery to sit outside at: Wooden Robot, The Chamber
Favorite “neighborhood” brewery: Free Range Brewing
What’s the coolest brewery you’ve ever visited?
This is going to sound really lame, but the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam was INCREDIBLE. It was extremely interactive and educational. I also loved the tour at New Belgium — there’s a slide you get to ride down!
What’s one brewery on your bucket list?
I have a few: Tree House Brewing, Brewdog Hotel, and Edmund’s Oast are the first ones that came to mind!
If someone asked you to do a beer share today, what would be the six beers you’d put in your mixed pack to share with them?
Fritter & Waste from Newgrass Brewing & Divine Barrel Brewing
Sour Guava Tangerine from Edmund’s Oast
Sour Peachopotamus from 4 Noses Brewing
Lunchbox Series- Strawberry from Funguys Brewing
Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star - Coffee Edition from Fremont Brewing
Bizarre Ride from Salud Cerveceria (I had to throw in one IPA for the variety)
What’s your preferred way to Work For Your Beer?
I love most workouts, but my heart belongs to aerial arts. My preferred apparatus is lyra, and I love to spin! It’s an insane upper body workout, but it also allows me to be creative and expressive, which makes it much more fun than a typical workout.
Since you’ve been a part of the craft beer community, how have you seen it change (for better or for worse)?
It’s been awesome to see more women in the craft beer community. I love following the badass beer babes in the industry who are fighting a larger female presence in beer!
I also think the variety of beer styles has allowed for more people to experience (and enjoy!) craft beer. The huge hype around sours has been amazing (for me, in particular), but it’s also allowed breweries to be a lot more creative with their batches. I’m excited to see how the industry will continue to evolve!
What advice would you give to someone considering getting involved in the craft beer community?
Come on in, the beer is fine. Seriously, the craft beer industry is so approachable to anyone who is interested in joining! There are plenty of beer groups you can follow or join (Work For Your Beer being one of them) that can help you wean into beer! You can always reach out to us on IG for any suggestions — we are happy to help. Cheers!
