6 Questions With Keshia...
This is our chance to get to know someone better who is working in the B.C. craft beer industry.
1. Who are you?
Hi Friends! My name is Keshia (she/her/hers)! I am a 31-year-old purple-haired beer wife and mother living in East Van. I have a degree in child and youth care counseling and am passionate about harm reduction and drug decriminalization. In my spare time, I like to be anywhere that there are dogs and snacks.
2. What do you do?
I am the former brewhouse manager of Monkey 9 Brewing in Richmond where my partner was also the head brewer. Currently, I own and operate a podcast called East Van Beer Wife that highlights women’s voices in beer. 3. What is your biggest pet peeve about the industry?
As someone whose podcast tagline is “celebrating women in beer: always” I feel that my biggest pet peeve is that there are not more people also doing this. I have met so many amazing women in this industry, before and after I started my podcast, and I wish I was seeing them highlighted more. Why is it that every time there is a radio interview or magazine article I only see the men of the industry? You are telling me you couldn’t find one woman or queer or BIPOC person to speak to? It’s ridiculous.
4. What do you love most about working in the industry?
I love the sense of community within the beer community. I love that I can walk into any space and feel genuinely welcome. I have made so many friends in the industry and miss them all terribly(damn COVID)! I cannot wait till we can all be together again drinking and laughing; hopefully at a beer festival.
5. What is your favourite beer right now?
I am a fruit beer drinker for sure! Give me anything with fruit in it and I am a happy, happy girl! I could drink a Raspberry Changeling from Brassneck Brewery every day for the rest of my life however it is currently not in season. To get my fruit kick right now, I am drinking Roxanne Black Raspberry Sour from Strange Fellows Brewing. .
6. What local charity should we be paying attention to?
We are currently experiencing 2 public health emergencies in BC. One was declared in 2016 due to the poison drug supply and it has only gotten worse since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. More people died from a drug overdose in the first 8 months of 2020 than all of 2019. Now more than ever it is not safe to use alone. The Overdose Prevention Society is just one of the amazing resources our city has for people who use substances. They were the cities first overdose prevention site that was created due to the opioid epidemic. They started running with a group of volunteers out of a popup tent in an alley in the Downtown Eastside, then they moved into a trailer in that same alley, then into a storefront next door along East Hastings Street. They are now preparing to move into a newly renovated space at 360 Columbia Street. The work that the Overdose Prevention Society does to keep our most vulnerable populations alive is amazing. They are always taking donations of bedding and clothing/footwear, especially in the winter months. You can find them on Facebook to find out how to donate. https://www.facebook.com/Overdose-Prevention-Society-734627406687532/
You can find Keshia on Instagram @eastvanbeerwife and on Spotify, Google Podcast, AND Apple Podcast so however you like to listen to your podcasts, she is here for you!