Jennifer Kent Oral History Interview, July 7, 2016

Partial Transcript: So you were born in 1975?

Segment Synopsis: Kent shares that she was born in Eugene, Oregon but shortly after her family moved up to Anchorage, Alaska. She describes living their until pre-school and shares a memory of her licking a frozen ice pole and injuring her tongue. Kent shares that she has one brother who is six years younger than her, but now lives in Portland. She shares that following Alaska her family moved to Colorado, but only lived there for a few years before finally moving back to the Pacific Northwest and settling down in Washington. Kent shares that when she was younger she wanted to be a bus driver, and that she was also obsessed with horses. Kent describes how her parents got divorced when she was in 4th grade and they moved to Newport, Oregon. She said that her mom really blossomed. Kent shares that Newport is her home to her. She shares that her entire mom's side of the family lives there and she loves the ocean.

Keywords: 1975; Alaska; Anchorage; Art; BLM; Battleground; Boulder; Brother; Bus Driver; Chicago; Colorado; Divorce; Eugene; Horses; Lincoln County; Newport; Norse; Pacific Northwest; Parents; Washington

Partial Transcript: What are some of the early memories that you have or things that you liked to do in Newport?

Segment Synopsis: Kent shares that she remembers living with her Aunt and Uncle for what seemed like a really long time. Kent describes Newport as a really small town and shares how it was nice and everyone became friends right away in her school. She says she enjoyed the small town feel of Newport, and liked knowing everyone everywhere she went. Kent describes how her parents handled their divorce so well, and shares that it was never traumatizing for her. Kent shares that she did have a little bit of a rocky relationship with her father because they had very little in common. Kent shares that her mother remarried her step-father during her late high school years. She shares that she really cares for her mother and step-father, and loves their relationship.

Keywords: Aunt; Community; Cousins; Family; Father; Newport; Ocean; School; Step-father; Uncle

Partial Transcript: Newport has changed, what are some of the changes that you have noticed?

Segment Synopsis: Kent describes the changes that have taken place in Newport since she was a kid. She shares that the town has changed very drastically and now there are a lot of Condos and new restaurants in areas that were previously very underdeveloped. She shares memories of early coffee shops and stores that she liked to visit and spend time at. Kent shares that she spent a lot of time at the coast, and loved riding her horse on the beach. She describes how in high school she was not really a drinker, and spent almost all her free time in the barn. Kent shares that she didn't really spend much time in the ocean and maybe only swam in it twice while she lived there.

Keywords: 4-H; Art; Cafe Mundo; Change; Coast; Condos; Hair Styles; Horses; Ocean; Restaurants

Partial Transcript: What was the relationship like between the people who lived there year round compared to the tourists?

Segment Synopsis: Kent shares that tourists did not have the same respect for the ocean as locals did. She says that a lot of times locals would see tourists going out in the sea in their bikinis and getting caught by riptides and just being reckless in general. She shares that the tourists were really good for the economy, but worried a lot of times because they did not have the same respect for the area that many locals did. Kent shares how the introduction of Keiko into the Newport Aquarium really turned the town into a tourist destination. She also shares how NOAA came in and established a research center, and then a community college was established in the area that also helped. Kent shares that she always enjoyed her art classes growing up, especially photography. Kent also shares that she loves being a brewery because she can work art into her beer.

Keywords: Art; Bend; Coast; Community College; Economy; Grateful Dead; Keiko; McMenamins; NOAA; Photography; Tourisits

Partial Transcript: So what did you do after you graduated?

Segment Synopsis: Kent shares that after she graduated she didn't really know what she wanted to do. She says that she continued to work in her mothers art gallery, and also met her first boyfriend. After meeting him she says that they moved to Springfield to attend College, however, she only attended for three terms and would not describe herself as the bookworm type. She shares that she worked some part times jobs and then eventually got a job at a restaurant were she met her future husband. She shares that she moved up to Salem for a restaurant job and eventually got a job with McMenamins, because her partner at the time worked there as a cook and so she went to work there too.

Keywords: 4-H; Art Gallery; Boyfriend; Career; Community College; Education; Graduation; Husband; Love; Sears; Springfield; Sweet River; Taco Time

Partial Transcript: So how long were you in the Eugene/Springfield Area?

Segment Synopsis: Kent shares that she only lived in Springfield for three years. She shares that she loved the area. She shares that she has a lot of good memories from the area. Kent shares that she really enjoyed her time in Springfield and really hated Salem when they first moved up there. She says that Salem is an odd place and that it takes a while to find your community, but you will eventually find one. She shares that she got into brewing up in Salem and learned a lot from the brewer who worked at her McMenanins location. The main brewer eventually was moved down to the Corvallis location, and she applied and was offered the Job of lead brewer at the Salem location.

Keywords: Beers; Brewing; Dancing; Eugene; Physical Work; Salem; Springfield

Partial Transcript: What was the moment you knew what you wanted to do?

Segment Synopsis: Kent shares that she loved the idea of brewing because it was very similar to cooking. She also shares that she was reluctant to call herself a brewer but after around three years she shares that she really fell into her element and felt like an actual brewer. She shares how she learned how to brew under Gary Nance. She describes how she would practice brews a lot and some of her best brews were ones that she made completely from experimentation.

Keywords: Brewing; Cooking; Learning; Physical; Smell; Work

Partial Transcript: What was the company culture like when your first started at McMenamins?

Segment Synopsis: Kent describes the company culture at McMenamins, and explains that it was pretty laid back. She shares that a lot of the company still feels that way, but it operators a little more like a business today. She shares that the company takes really good care of its employees and they generally stick around for awhile. Kent explains the creative process behind her brewing, she shares that she draws on inspiration for her life when creating brews. She says that she wants her beer to be drank while people are many memories and connections, she wants be to have more than just a good beer, but have a good time while drinking their beer. She shares that she is not very good at coming up with creative names for beer, but she does enjoy the creative side of brewing.

Keywords: Benefits; Brewing; Company Culture; Consistency; Creative Process; Dancing; Employees; Ingredients; Science; Stories; Types of Beer

Partial Transcript: Whether some of those differences that are perceived are personal or is there something that fundamentally different in the way males brewers present?

Segment Synopsis: Kent shares that she believes that beer makes everyone equal. She shares that she doesn't really ever emphasize that she is a female brewer, but just is a brewer. She shares that she believes that brewing in a masculine profession, but she says she is okay with that and enjoys working in the field and has her home in brewing. She shares that she had great mentors in beer making, who really have taught her how to make great beer.

Keywords: Brewing; Confidence; Difference; Female; Feminism; Male; Mentors

Partial Transcript: What do you think, slightly shifting, a little bit to collaboration and being part of a larger company being made up of smaller breweries, do you think that has been an easier place to entering the brewing world?

Segment Synopsis: Kent shares that a lot of people have misconceptions about the way McMenamins brewing works. She shares that each McMenamins brews differently and each has a lot of freedom. She shares that McMenamins has a passport, where you can go around and try different brews at different locations and earn rewards for trying different types of brews. She shares that she does not collaborate very often with other brewers, but they do share a lot of information between each other. She says that she shares a lot of information with home brewers, and has good relationships with a lot in Salem. She shares that McMenamins is not allowed to be involved in the Salem brewers association because they are a part of larger corporation. Kent shares a little bit about Salem beer politics, and the community in Salem. Kent shares about the struggle of her beer being behind the McMenamins label that it makes it harder because they think that its just corporate non-original beer. Kent shares that she is not a part of the Pink Boots Society, mainly because she just wants to be seen as just a normal brewer.

Keywords: Beer Politics; Ciders; Community; Expansion; Guinness; People; Pink Boots Society; Portland; Public Relations; Salem; brewing; collobaration; homebrewers; mcmenamins; passport

Partial Transcript: So what else do you do beside brew?

Segment Synopsis: Kent shares that outside of brewing, she really enjoys belly dancing. She shares that its not about the costumes, its about the dance and its a big passion for her. She shares that she puts on a dance retreat every year, and hosts it in Salem. She shares that she enjoys making beer for her dancers. She also shares that her dancers are not what you would think of as a traditional dancers, most have a lot of tattoos and piercings and dress in all black. She shares that the brewing process and the dance process are very similar and both have a lot of improv and creativity.

Keywords: Art; Dance Retreat; Dancing; Memories; Salem

Partial Transcript: So, visibility being a women, being a brewer, how or do you think about what impact that has on the industry as a whole?

Segment Synopsis: Kent shares the impact of being a women in brewing, she shares that women in large successful breweries have a lot more visibility and can show off success more in a beneficial way for women than in the role that she has at McMenamins. She shares that Salem as a city is still really underdeveloped as far as beer culture goes, and is still developing.

Keywords: Beer Culture; Change; Community; Salem; Small breweries; Visability; Women in Brewing

Partial Transcript: Where there things that I thought I would ask, that you didn't ask?

Segment Synopsis: Kent shares a story about a male brewer treating her badly because she was a women brewer. She says that she does not experience very much discrimination as result of being a women brewer, but it does happen time to time. She describes that she would probably have more confidence as a women brewer if she owned and operated her own brewery. She concludes her interview by sharing that she loves what she does, and loves that she learns new things everyday.

Keywords: ABV; Women brewers; confidence; discrimination; glitter; learning