Panther Island recently named Sandra Murphy head brewer. In the male-dominated industry of craft brewing, it’s not just a first for the Fort Worth brewery. She says she’s the first woman head brewer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Sit at the bar at Panther Island Brewing and you'll see endless options of beer.
"Everything that is on that tap wall I have brewed," Sandra Murphy said.
Panther Island recently named Murphy head brewer. In the male-dominated industry of craft brewing, it's not just a first for the Fort Worth brewery.
"I am the first woman head brewer in D-FW," Murphy said. "We need more of us."
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Murphy started brewing beer as a hobby at home.
"I realized this was a passion I didn't know I had," Murphy said. "I love the idea of taking an experience and creating a beer."
Murphy started in the tap room at Panther Island Brewing. She said the family owned business gave her opportunities to learn and follow her passion to brew beer.
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"Cool! I'm the first, and I'm going to make it easier for the next one, and the next one, until there are women all over," Murphy said. "There are more breweries than not that want to be on the forefront of changing it."
On Wednesday morning, Murphy was pitting and cutting peaches for a summer brew called Summergeez, a take on the brewery's award-winning Allergeez beer.
"I love it when someone goes, 'I don't like beer.' And I'm like, 'I promise I can find you a beer that you will like,'" Murphy said. "I see people drinking it, and enjoying it, and loving it, and I'm like, 'that's why I do it!'"
