Two years after being named the President of Detroit’s largest brewery, Katy McBrady’s goals for Atwater Brewery are more than stout. Besides being the name of her favorite Atwater beer, “Detroit Hustles Harder” is a sentiment that inspired her return home to Detroit from sunny California, but also something she’s taken to heart as a female leader in the brewing industry. In this conversation, McBrady discusses her vision of Atwater Brewery as Detroit’s quintessential beer as well as her efforts to empower and uplift other women in the industry. Q: Can you start off with a quick overview of the history of Atwater Brewery and where it stands today? Atwater Brewery has been in business for 26 years, and we were founded in the River Town District in Detroit. We actually started by brewing a lot of traditional German style beers, but 26 years ago, those weren't necessarily the styles. So we were kind of ahead of our time with what we launched into the Detroit market. If you fast forward about eight years after that, we launched Dirty Blonde, and that quickly became our number-one seller. It still represents about 70% of what we sell, and it's the number-one selling blonde meal style in the state of Michigan. Then we launched two additional taproom spaces, one in Grosse Pointe Park and one in Grand Rapids. We've also launched some other award-winning beers since then, including Vanilla Java Porter, the number one selling Porter style in the state of Michigan. Then recently we've dabbled into the IPA space. So safe to say it's been a busy 26 years for Atwater. "There's not enough sunshine in California to beat the opportunity that we have at Atwater right now." Q: Let’s talk about you! You were named Atwater Brewery President in 2022. After you graduated from CMU as an English and Political Science major, how did your career bring you up the ranks in hospitality? I graduated from CMU in 2009. It was a crazy time, especially those of us working in hospitality, because if you remember the economic climate in Michigan, it was pretty depressed. At that time, I had a couple waitressing gigs, even though I majored in English and political science with the intention of going to law school. But I think like so many folks I couldn't afford that. So I stuck with what I was doing, and I kind of became a child of the industry. Then I had someone from a local distributor tap me on the shoulder while I was working an event one night, and say “Hey, would you like to try a hand at sales?” And I did. I started working for a Bud Light distributor. From there, I became exposed to the world of beverage suppliers. I looked around and had this serendipitous moment where I realized maybe my scope and worldview was a little small when I was in college, thinking that I had to go on and pursue the secondary degree to find success. Because what I saw was this big career path in the beverage industry that I didn't know was available to me. Safe to say, the many sales roles that I've had working for the distributor, none of that would have been possible without the soft skills that I learned in the hospitality industry. "Your heart is where your heart is, and mine’s in Detroit. " Q. There’s been a lot of talk lately from legislators and state leaders about how to bring people back to Michigan and getting more success stories like yours. What drove you back from Southern California home to Michigan? It was a long path. I ended up staying close to 10 years because I was very fortunate in my career to continue getting opportunities for growth. I’m a very growth-driven individual. You kind of get addicted to that growth. But in the background of everything I did in Southern California was always Detroit. Anyone I met in Southern California would say “She loves Detroit.” I was such a champion for the city while I was out there. It turns out, you can champion it so far, but your heart is where your heart is, and mine’s in Detroit. So when the opportunity with Atwater came up, I just saw this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine what I love and what I have a passion for, with the city that I have a passion for, and really make this thing come to life. I'm just so stoked to be able to do this - there's not enough sunshine in California to beat the opportunity that we have at Atwater right now. Q: This month, Atwater Brewery hosted its second-annual Woman’s Day event on International Woman’s Day, where you launched the Pink Gang IPA, partnering with the MRLA and Women in Hospitality Leadership initiative. Can you tell us why this is a passion project for you? You know, with Atwater being a woman-run business, I want to say, this is just a passion project for me. But truly, this is something that women in Detroit come out and participate in. We have a number of women innovators who come through to join us for Brew Day, who also sit and talk about opportunities for women to further advance in Detroit. But none of this would be possible without the team at Atwater, which also includes a bunch of male advocates who helped us to put it on. So Pink Gang is a fun celebration of womanhood, and it's a fun celebration of kind of where we've come as an industry. "It starts with women in the industry and making space for themselves, making sure to be tenacious about growth, tenacious about where they want to be. " Q: What is the story behind the Pink Gang Beer? This name was woman-powered and has a lot of Detroit behind it. Are you guys familiar with the Purple Gang in Detroit? The Purple Gang effectively was the Jewish mafia, and they were playing during Prohibition with the smuggling of illegal booze into Detroit, often via the Detroit River. And as that booze is being smuggled across the river from Canada, they would literally say, “Hey, meet us at water.” And that is the name of the street that we're located on Atwater. So we actually have a beer, Purple Gang Pilsner, that pays homage right to Detroit's prohibition history. We don't condone mafia activities, to be clear, we do condone women coming together for a unified cause and organizing for the betterment of the city. But Pink Gang is also tied to the Pink Boots Society. We use the Pink Boots Society’s proprietary hops blend in this beer, and the Pink Boots Society is a nonprofit grounded in providing opportunities for not just women in brewing, but also women in hospitality. So a proceed part of every pint, every six-pack of Pink Gang sold this year, will go back to supporting that initiative. Q: How do you think the industry can improve or be more inclusive for female leadership because it is so male-dominated, specifically in brewing? I think it starts with us. It starts with women in the industry and making space for themselves, making sure to be tenacious about growth, tenacious about where they want to be. And then I think as you ascend in your career, it's important to bring other women along on the journey with you. And then again, it can't be just on us. Finding those male mentors, male advocates, who are also willing to take you on a journey, and willing to help you learn is also very important. But one thing I also think is important is acknowledging how far we've come: while there's a lot of work to do, we might not have been having this conversation 10 years ago, and I think that's cool too. Q: As a local brand, then, what is your vision for Atwater Brewery one year or five years from now into the future? When I think about Atwater, and I think about our positioning - we are the largest craft brewery in Detroit - my big goal is for Atwater to become Detroit’s beer. When you think of New Orleans, right, you think of a Betta when you think of Chicago, you often think of Old Style. My goal is for Atwater to be that natural connection for people outside of Detroit. “Hey, if I go to Detroit, I have to have an Atwater.” It's just part of the experience. Q: Lastly, what is your favorite tourist destination in Michigan? You know, I've been back for two years. I've explored a lot of the state since I've been back. I have to tell ya, it's still Destination Detroit. While I am a local, I can spend a full day here and discover 15 new places that I've never been and just be blown away by the amount of innovation that we've had in the last decade. I'm going to stick with Detroit. To hear the full conversation – including Katy McBrady’s unfiltered opinions about the Atwater brews she can’t get enough of – check out the What’s With the Pineapple podcast.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
August 2024
Categories
All
If you find these articles valuable, become a member of the MRLA to access irreplaceable resources and support.
|