Guest
writer Stephanie Grant profiles Second Self brewer Zuri Coleman.
Cheers Y’all!
It’s
been an eventful, productive and often controversial 2018 in the craft beer
scene, and I had quite an experience covering every minute of it. For the
upcoming new year, I want to definitely do a lot more profiles on what I call the
“Movemakers Series”—basically, enterprising individuals who are making moves
whether it’s in the craft beer world and, sometimes, beyond; they will not only
have an extraordinary story, but are all about influencing the landscape in a
beneficial, progressive way. Second, I also
want to provide guest writers—both aspiring and seasoned—who want to cover this
wondrous industry an opportunity to share their thoughts from time to time on
this site. Combing these two goals, here is an article by Stephanie Grant, a bourgeoning writer who also lives in Atlanta. We
mutually agreed a piece on Second Self’s brewer Zuri Coleman would be a great start, so
here we are. So please, enjoy. I mean hey, why wait for 2019? Let’s get it
poppin’ now!
Happy
Holidays everyone, thank you for the support, and let’s look forward to another
unforgettable year!
Take
it away Steph.
The Movemaker
Series presents:
 |
| Guest writer Stephanie Grant (L) and Second Self brewer Zuri Coleman. |
Second
Self brewer Zuri Coleman
Written
by guest contributor Stephanie Grant
Thousands
of years ago, women were ideal in the production of beer, but today’s popular
assumption is that anyone associated with ales and lagers are bearded white
men. Females make up a small percentage of brewers in the nation, and Georgia
echoes the numbers seen at a national level. I was able to sit down with one of
Atlanta’s most respected brewers, Second Self Brewing’s Zuri Coleman, who also happens to be
one of the select few women brewing in the city. We talked about how she got
her start, her plans for the future, and the current state of diversity in the
craft beer scene. As a black, queer woman, Coleman’s mere presence as quiet, humble,
and soft spoken breaks the expectation of who you would expect to be brewing
beer. She started out at Second Self more than three years ago without any
prior brewing experience. Through hard work, determination, and initiative,
Coleman was able to move from volunteering in the taproom to working as a
full-time brewer.
 |
| Your homie, Stephanie, Zuri, and Jason Santamaria, co-founder of Second Self |
Like
most beer lovers, Coleman’s journey started in college where the choices were
the usual cheap, adjunct-loaded beer and sweet mixed drinks. One day, a friend
brought Coleman a Blue Moon, and while it was not technically a craft beer, this
sip still helped her realize that there was more to the beer world’s flavor
profiles than what she was used to drinking.
From
there, Coleman couldn’t go back to drinking the cheap brews she was used to,
and started to venture out to growler and bottle shops. Filling up her first vessel
with Heavy Seas’ Below Decks, a barley wine aged for a year in red wine
barrels. Eventually, she visited her first brewery—Atlanta Brewing Company—though
Monday
Night Brewing became her go-to destination during study breaks.
But
it was a visit to Second Self based on Atlanta’s west side that led to Coleman
being one of a handful of female brewers in Georgia. During a visit to the brewery,
she noticed that they could use a little help behind the bar so she offered her
services. After a few months, Coleman started washing kegs and by the end of
the year, began dabbling into assisting in brewing.
“Chris
[Doyle] and Jason [Santamaria] never doubt their employees’ abilities to try
new things in both brewing and day-to-day work,” Coleman explains. “So when I
was a keg washer and expressed an interest in learning more about fermentation
and taking on more responsibilities, there was no hesitation in teaching me
more about the process.”
When
Coleman became interested in brewing, head brewer Chris Doyle and assistant
brewer Austin Brumley happily started teaching her how the brewhouse works.
Second Self even provided her spare time while on the clock to study for the American
Brewers Guild.
It
wasn’t long before Coleman decided to pitch an idea for a beer—the infamous
Margarita Gose. Inspired by meeting friends weekly for margaritas, there was
one night when they weren’t able to meet up, so Coleman grabbed the margarita
mix from her car brought it back home, and the rest became historic.
“While
kegging [Second Self’s] Maverick and Gose that week, I decided to open a keg and
pour in the [margarita] mix for the taproom that weekend,” Coleman recounts. After
being well received, Second Self modified the recipe during the following year to
include more natural ingredients including lime juice and orange peels. It’s not
difficult to find a margarita gose at your local craft beer shop now, but
Coleman’s was one of the first of its kind.
Coleman
and Brumley manage the brewhouse, and contrary to popular belief, brewers don’t
spend their days drinking. Coleman says it’s a fun job, but working in the
brewhouse can be exhausting. While she’s happy to call Second Self home, she
doesn’t think she’ll be throwing around bags of grain and working in the heat
forever. One day she hopes to transition to a management position and
potentially consult on new and existing spaces in the industry.
For
now, Coleman thoughts are on future brews, including one using the Pink
Boots Society Hop blend for International Women's Day
on March 8th. But before that, Second Shelf has a few more collaborations in
the works for an event in February.
“We're
letting other breweries make their version of Second Self beers, and we'll
serve them at the brewery during our Alter Ego party on February 22,” Coleman
explains. Stay tuned for more details.
We
couldn’t end our conversation without talking about diversity, a recurring
topic in the beer world; I wanted to get Coleman’s take on what breweries and
beer bars could do to make people from all walks of life not only feel welcome,
but be a part of it. She says that a lot of places talk about how much they love
diversity, but it’s important to act on what you’re saying by supporting
minority communities with your actions.
“Allow
them to host, sponsor their events, and hire them for a wide range of positions,”
Coleman says. “Include them in your advertising and don’t pander. And don’t
show the same minority in all your
photos; we see you. We notice when we see people that look
like us and when we do we feel more welcome.”
Coleman
also wants us to expand our definition of diversity beyond black people and
women. She says, “It’s important to highlight women in the industry, but there
are other groups in the brewing industry we should highlight as well. The
brewing industry should work towards including people from all walks of life,
whether they’re a person of color, gay, or transgender.”
Zuri
Coleman has done some incredible work at Second Self in the short time she’s
worked there, and she undoubtedly has more cool things up her sleeve.
Until
then, make sure to stop into Second Self to try out one of their many great
beers on tap. And hey, maybe Coleman will have a new one she came up with to
pour.
About guest writer Stephanie Grant
Stephanie Grant has had many
loves in her life, but craft beer continues to capture her heart; she’s an
Atlanta native who loves experiencing a new city's culinary and craft
beer scene. When she doesn't have her fingers on a keyboard, Stephanie's in the
kitchen passionately experimenting with pairing food with ales and lagers. You
can follow her beer adventures on Instagram at @shelovescraft.
