Cat Wiest Oral History Interviews

At the time of the first interview, Cat Wiest was a Research and Development Brewer at Pelican Brewing Company in Tillamook, Oregon. She describes growing up in San Luis Obispo, California, as well as in Guam. She discusses her earlier life experiences, including solo-hiking the Appalachian Trail and working as commercial fisherwoman in Alaska. She began homebrewing while living in the Bay Area, and shortly after got a job as a brewer at Pyramid Brewing in Berkeley, California, leading to her involvement in her union and with the Pink Boots Society. From there, she moved to Santa Cruz and worked as the head brewer at Seabright Brewery and popularized glitter beer through her entry at the Great American Beer Festival. She continued her involvement in the Pink Boots Society when she moved to Oregon to work at Pelican Brewing, holding a board position in the organization. Topics throughout both interviews include conversations of gender, discrimination, and inclusivity in the brewing industry and in the workplace.