Icebreaker Podcast: Kate Whelan of Sacramento Beer Week

California Groundbreakers

Here's the final "Icebreaker" mini-podcast focused on California Groundbreakers in the beer industry, in advance of our live "Brewmasters" event on October 11 . Like many beer lovers, Kate Whelan started out as a homebrewer. But she was tired of talking only with guys about beer. So she co-founded HopBroads nearly five years ago, a group focused on attracting more women to the craft beer culture. She's also a member of Pink Boots Society, which supports and promotes women working in the craft brewing industry ( one superstar Pink Boots member is Crooked Lane Brewery head brewmaster Teresa Psuty, who just won a Gold for her Wobblor Dopplebock at the Great American Beer Festival). Now she's the director of Sacramento Beer Week, a major brewfest scheduled for May 2018 that's guaranteed to draw tens of thousands of people. That means Whelan is in charge of turning around a once-rudderless ship and boosting Sacramento's cred -- and its 60-plus breweries -- to beer drinkers statewide. Whelan took time out during a busy wedding season (her official day job is events planner) to talk about her career in beer, and how women are making a big impact -- both as workers and as drinkers -- in California's craft beer scene. PODCAST TIMEFRAME * O to 1 min - Intro to Icebreakers -- and Kate Whelan * 1 min - Whelan's most memorable beer (so memorable she had three in a row) * 2:30 min - How a scavenger hunt set her down the path to a career in beer, and founding HopBroads * 6:35 min - The pros and cons of homebrewing with a man in the kitchen * 7:55 min - Sacramento's chapter of Pink Boots Society -- and its medal-winning members * 10 min - A woman's place in the California craft beer scene * 14:50 min - Starting Sacramento Beer Week from scratch -- and making it better and bigger than ever * 17:55 min - Whelan's take on the future of NorCal's craft beer scene * 19:50 min - And her advice for women to get into the beer scene and kill it