From Grain to Glass

As a freshman at Appalachian State University, ALEXIS SCRIVANI planned to study environmental science until she overheard someone in her dorm talking about their fermentation science class. “I thought, ‘That’s not a real degree,’” she says. “I looked into it and found it was similar to environmental science, and I liked the crossover.”

Two weeks after graduating in 2018, Scrivani drove to Colorado to intern at a brewery.

“It was only supposed to be one month, but I stayed for four,” she says. “The brewer quit, and I was thrown into it.”

From there, she built a camper out of her Toyota 4Runner and traveled across Canada, down the West Coast while visiting more than forty breweries and hiking hundreds of miles.

Scrivani returned to Wilmington for Christmas with her family and landed a job at a local brewery where she stayed for five years. Last year, she became head brewer at Mannkind Brewing, Leland’s newest brewery.

“Mannkind opened two months ago, so it’s been cool to be involved through the whole process,” Scrivani says.

While a fermentation science degree isn’t needed to get into the brewing industry, Scrivani emphasizes it doesn’t hurt to have one.

“There’s a wide range of what you can do with the degree,” she says. “It’s given me a better approach toward safety and sanitation. There’s so much that can go wrong in the chemical aspects of a brewery.”

Traditionally a male-dominated field, brewing has, in recent years, witnessed an increase in women’s involvement.

“It can be a little intimidating,” Srivani says. “I was twenty-two years old when I started. I’m just legal to drink myself. I’ve been blown off, and people said, ‘How cute, how sweet.’ Now it’s not the case as much.”

Scrivani received a scholarship from the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild to attend its craft brewing conference.

“More associations are encouraging women to get into the business – in all parts of the industry, not just production,” she says. “You just have to throw yourself at it; show up and know that you should be there.”

Scrivani also joined the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance’s Beer Week committee.

“There are a lot of incredible women who put so much work into planning events. It’s been awesome to be involved and learn from them,” she says.

Scrivani calls brewing a big science experiment.

“So many factors go into it. Your brews change based on the crops like wheat, malt, and hops you’re getting,” she says. “It’s been awesome working with local companies and suppliers. And outside of the brewing process, the community is amazing. I’ve felt really supported locally and in the state. It takes a lot of people to make one beer.”

Scrivani enjoys experimenting with more traditional styles like lagers.

“I like making dark beers, too, because it all happens on the hops side. It’s a very pure beer to make,” Scrivani says. “We don’t have many on the menu right now because we try to offer beers that are more approachable for those new to the craft beer scene.”

As the brewing industry is constantly changing, Scrivani never tires of the process.

“Mannkind Brewery’s owners, CASSIE and JEREMY MANN, are into Belgian styles, and that’s newer to me. I’m excited to work on that and learn from them,” Scrivani says. “We have a New Zealand pilsner coming out that I’m excited about. And I’ll start on some dark beers like a Belgium stout and a Czech dark lager.”

Scrivani advises women who are interested in brewing to immerse themselves in it.

“Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” she says. “This community has really looked out for me here, and I’m all for paying it forward. I’m always here to help.”

To view more of photographer Terah Hoobler’s work, go to terahhoobler.com.

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