History is in the making for this Black Iowa woman.
After seeking an open opportunity to work with the actual brewing of beer at her place of employment, Ashley Hynick is preparing to become the first Black female brewer in Iowa.
According to WHO 13, Hynick started working at Peace Tree Brewing Co. in Knoxville as a bartender, serving her customers various options of brews.
“For me it wasn’t super hard because I wanted to learn,” said Hynick, who was eager to learn more about what she was serving. “I feel like when you want to learn something it’s kind of easier to pick up.”
“Not like a heavy pressure,” she said. “More like that’s exciting, like, I’m glad that I can be that person.”
Hynick quickly learned how to run the process of brewing beer, which led her to her present plans of creating her own recipe, which is still in the works.
“I’m kind of just starting it, but I’m just trying to figure out what kind of yeast I want to add into it,” said Hynick. “Also thinking on what kind of hops, what kind of flavor I want it to be.”
Peace Tree owner Megan McKay is excited that the opportunity worked out to have an employee from within the company take on the production role.
“Ashley started with us part-time as a bartender,” said McKay. “We had an opening in production so we always like to look within to see who could grow with us.”
“There’s a profile that you’re trying to fit for certain types of jobs and I try to keep a really open mind about that,” said McKay. “All of the sudden we’ve got Ashley who’s brewing great beer and getting ready to make her own recipes.”
Currently, Hynick is indulging in various workshops and seminars to further her knowledge and strategies to become the best brewer she can be.