Mujeres Brew House: How women are changing the beer game
A female-owned brewery celebrates Latin culture and women in the heart of San Diego
In a corner of Barrio Logan, a brewery sits with glowing lights. Spanish music can be heard before entering. Inside, smiling bartenders greet customers and the aroma of freshly brewed beer fills the room. The space is painted in bright pink and blue colors, and murals of women line the walls.
Mujeres Brew House is the first Latina-owned brewery in San Diego. The project was created by Carmen Velasco-Favela and Esthela Davila. The brewery first opened its doors on July 1, 2020. However, the two women were creating a beer space for women before that.
“They say I basically married into beer,” Velasco-Favela said.
Her husband, David Favela, is the co-founder of Border X Brewing, the first Latino-owned brewery in San Diego. Velasco-Favela and Davila were able to create a beer club for women, hosted at Border X Brewing.
The Brew Club
The Mujeres Brew Club was created to encourage women to learn more about beer. The club would bring in speakers to talk about the history of beer and how to make it. The club was only meant to be an educational series, but it ended up lasting six months. This event would sell out, making Velasco-Favela and Davila aware that women are very active in the beer community.
Velasco-Favela and Davila did not initially plan to open the brewery when they did, but the space became available and everything slowly fell into place. The two agreed that women’s empowerment would be their main goal with the brewery, but the two knew there would be struggles.
“Doing anything that focuses only on women is, I think, kind of risky because you never know what people are going to think,” Velasco-Favela said.
She said that due to the overlying history of adversity for women, this project was going to be tricky. However, the two partners both say that the biggest challenge with this brewery is not to think about that.
The positive impact of having a woman come into their establishment and feel like they belong while sipping a beer is the driving force for Velasco-Favela and Davila.
Creating beer for women
The first beer that Mujeres Brew House brewed was meant to be a lighter beer that even non-beer drinkers could enjoy. They were able to do just that through Buenas Vibras, a blonde ale that was easy to drink. From there, the beer list grew.
“I wanted to find a balance with the beer, so we rotate the ones we create,” Velasco-Favela said.
The brewery first focused on light to strong beers. Once they mastered those, the brewers started to incorporate Latin culture into their beers.
The beer list grew from flavors that reminded them of their childhood to ones that are a staple in Latin cultures, such as tamarindo. Tamarindo is a sweet and spicy candy that is popular in the Latino community. The brewers have been able to incorporate that into a beer that is now a fan favorite at the brewery.
Blending culture
Incorporating their Latin culture into their brewery was a process because it was something they did not plan on doing.
“I started painting the wall this Mexican pink; it was so bright but I loved it,” Velasco-Favela said.
She first experimented with one wall that she thought no one would see, but as more people viewed the wall, their faces lit up. Young girls and women would look at the pink wall and get excited. This made the two business partners realize they do not have to hide any part of who they are.
“We decided to go full cultura,” Velasco-Favela said.
She and Davila realized they did not have to be afraid about coming off too strong with their Latinidad. They could create a space for women’s empowerment while also showcasing their love for their culture. To help with this, the brewery has invited muralists to come in and do pieces that reflect Latino culture.
The message through murals
The art that fills the walls was painted by local female artists. The main mural that fills an entire wall in the tasting room was created by España Garcia. She created the “Beer Goddess.” The crown that sits on the woman’s head is made of hop; the flower beer is made from. The spikes sticking out of the crown are barley and her hair is water. The muralists later incorporated Aztec markings on the woman’s face to incorporate the cultural aspect of the brewery.
The mural on the wall in the beer garden was commissioned by the building owner. It was created by Panca, a muralist from Tijuana. The mural represents the feminist women of Chiapas. These women continue to fight for women’s rights in Chiapas. According to Velasco-Favela, having this mural represents the overlaying message of the brewery.
The wall that lines the outside of the beer garden is filled with marigolds. It was an extended piece from the building in front of the brewery. The artist, Tatiana Ortiz Rubio, created the piece to represent the lives that were lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brewery owners wanted to extend the piece to honor those lives.
Creating a community
The brewery has been able to build a community in just under three years. This was created through hard-working owners, bartenders, and art.
Brenda Gomez, a lead bartender for Mujeres, joined the team when the brewery first opened its doors. She said she joined because she saw the lack of Latinos and women of color in the craft beer industry.
“I love being around the female energy, seeing our customers, and just feeling at home,” Gomez said.
Gomez said seeing how the brewery has been able to empower women and Latinos has been one of her favorite things about the job. She has created multiple connections with the customers and enjoys getting to know her regulars. One regular that Gomez serves often is Bertin Pimentel.
“I love the art and it feels like we are honoring women in this space, especially Hispanic women,” Pimentel said.
Raised by a single mother, Pimentel said he feels like he is at home when he comes to Mujeres. He feels welcomed and enjoys the environment.
“The IPA is good, the bartenders are cool, and the music is great,” Pimentel said.
While Mujeres Brew House aims to empower women, it is not just for women. The brewery is for everyone, families of all backgrounds, and anyone who enjoys beer. The brewery offers a wide range of beers, as well as non-alcoholic beers and beverages, so there is something for everyone to enjoy.
This project was produced by Priscilla Maldonado as a published learning experience in JMS 550 Digital Journalism, part of the Journalism and Media Studies Program at San Diego State University.
