Mary McGinn

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What’s your current position at your brewery, and how did you get started in the craft brewing industry?

I wear a few hats at Orlando Brewing, but I’d generalize my position as beer liaison. When I tend bar, I strive to couple the customer with the right brews, in the right order. Managing social media, connecting with beer bloggers, or promoting a new brew release allows me to portray the passion, dedication, and love (cheesy but true) that goes into crafting our organic brew. I got started in the craft beer industry after three years of slinging domestics over summer breaks in a small-town Texas biker bar. OBC needed a bartender, and I was a spunky 21-year-old looking for a gig.

What’s new at Orlando Brewing?

We recently released Grateful Pumpkin, our organic fall spice ale, and our perennial Oktoberfest (#9!). We also released Lagerhead IPL and Grand O’ Hopry Double IPA, and will soon release Papa Midnight (coconut vanilla almond imperial stout). We also have beer aging in rum and whiskey barrels from Central Florida’s local distillery, Winter Park Distilling.

What’s the best part of the craft brewing community?

The best part of the craft beer community is the community. You’d be hard-pressed to find another industry in which the players coordinate and cooperate the way we do. There’s a sense of camaraderie and brotherly love that I’ve yet to see anywhere else.

Name a favorite food and beer pairing.

Figs and barleywine.

What’s your biggest accomplishment unrelated to brewing?

I just got back from the National Poetry Slam in Oakland, Calif. where I competed to represent Central Florida on a national stage. Pretty proud of that.

What’s your favorite beer that your brewery does not produce?

BrewDog Tokyo*.

What do you like to do in your time away from the brewery?

I read and write science fiction dystopia and binge on nerdy podcasts.

What’s the most memorable travel destination at which you’ve had a chance to try the local beer?

Probably Dallas, Texas. The city went from having next to no craft available for purchase, to sporting a handful of its own microbreweries in just a few short years.

 

 


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