Virginia Morrison

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What’s your current position at your brewery, and how did you get started in the craft brewing industry?
I am the CEO and co-founder of Second Chance Beer Company. We are an independent craft brewery with two tasting rooms in San Diego, Calif. We have distribution throughout Southern California and Arizona. I fell in love with craft beer in my early twenties and homebrewed in the year after college and before law school. I began my involvement in San Diego craft beer over 10 years ago when I put on a beer-food-pairing fundraiser for the San Diego History Center, for which I was a board member at that time. When my boyfriend – a 15-year professional brewer – kept talking about opening his own brewery, I offered to help and did. The result of those joint efforts was Second Chance Beer Company, which opened in 2015. I always said I’d never work with my spouse, but the people in craft beer and ability to give back through charity made for an irresistible offer.

What’s new at Second Chance?
We just launched our hard seltzer line, SLIM Chance – only 110 calories and made by Second Chance – get it? 😉 The first three flavors – Watermelon Mint, Peach Nectarine, and Cucumber Lime, are gluten-reduced, malt-based and made with real fruit and herbs sourced from a local organic farm. Slim Chance is the craft beer lovers’ seltzer, perfect for health-conscious, active adults who are socially responsible, because 1% of sales go to 1% for the Planet!

What’s the best part of being a part of the craft brewing community?
The best part of being in craft beer are the people and ability to use award-winning beer towards greater ends, such as promoting inclusivity and working with charities that give people, planet, and pups a second chance.

Name a favorite food and beer pairing.
Fool Me Twice Double IPA + Key Lime Cheesecake or Slim Chance Hard Seltzer Peach Nectarine + Pinkberry Original Frozen Yogurt.

What’s your biggest accomplishment unrelated to your job?
My biggest accomplishment unrelated to craft beer is my coaching side hustle. I help women at any career stage to recognize their value AND then be able to communicate it.

What’s your favorite beer from another brewery?
Russian River Consecration

What do you like to do in your time away from the brewery?
When I’m not working, I spend time with family and friends and enjoy meditation/mindfulness, yoga, reading, running, and drinking champagne (don’t judge, it was my first love before craft beer).

What’s the most memorable travel destination at which you’ve had a chance to sample the local beer?
The most memorable travel destination where I’ve drank local beer was Germany. It was extra special because I was born there, it was my first time back, and they’ve perfected the Bier Garten!


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