CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A woman in the brewing industry is breaking barriers.

What You Need To Know

• Erin Jordan is the head brewer at Resident Culture Brewing
• Only 11% of brewers are women in the U.S., according to the job search website Zippia
• Jordan said women are capable and bring different experiences that can benefit the brewing industry

Erin Jordan is not only working in beer production where women are the minority, but she’s also now the head brewer at Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte. 

“I mean it’s a huge honor [the founders] have an immense amount of faith and trust in me to continue to carry this amazing brand forward and really pioneer our next steps forward,” Jordan said.

Jordan entered the brewing industry in 2017 in Asheville. She worked her way up to head brewer in that city. 

“I started from nothing and was able to work up my way through the ranks and to achieve a leadership position and have autonomy and a creative outlet. It allowed me a pathway to get here, to Resident Culture,” Jordan said. 

In the U.S., female brewers are in the minority. According to job finder website Zippia, in 2021, only 11% of brewers were female. 

“It’s sad that it has to be a question or even a topic of conversation,” Jordan said. 

At Resident Culture, she’s one of four women working in production, but she said that’s not the norm. 

“It can be an upward battle for sure. Again, you often get overlooked. You have to be very intentional about making your voice louder and standing a little bit taller,” Jordan said. 

One little thing Jordan wants others to know is women are capable and can bring a lot to the table. 

“My palate and my experiences are going to be different than any other male brewer or female brewer,” Jordan said. 

She emphasized having diversity in brewing can benefit everyone. 

“The more representation we have, the better quality beer we have, the more we can push our brewing standard,” Jordan said. 

She urges any woman interested in joining the industry to give it a try. 

“What deters women is they don’t see anyone else there that looks like them in that space. That’s one of the reasons that role is so important to me,” Jordan said.

According to the Brewers Association, the number of breweries in North Carolina is on the rise since 2011. In 2022, the state had 392 craft breweries.