Robyn Schumacher Oral History Interview, March 27, 2017

Partial Transcript: Okay, go ahead.

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher introduces herself and provides the interview location, her birth date and the current date.

Keywords: Craft beer; Craft brewing; Women in beer; Women in brewing

Subjects: Beer and brewing; Billings (Mont.); Breweries; Seattle (Wash.); Teaching

Partial Transcript: So you, we are here in the Seattle area. You live here now

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher notes where she was born in Montana, and her repeated travels to the state from Washington as a young adult. She discusses her parents careers and how that lead them to Spokane, Washington. She describes the culture of Spokane, the freedom she had as a child in her neighborhood, and how Spokane has grown over time. She details the different outdoor activities she did with her parents and siblings growing up.

Keywords: Careers in science; Childhood independence; Conservative communities; Outdoor activities; Professional travel; Spokane-Coeur d'Alene connection; US Bureau of Mines; United States Bureau of Mines

Subjects: Billings (Mont.); Billings, Mont.; Conservative; Engineering; Geology; Logging; Medical sciences; Science; Seattle (Wash.); Spokane (Wash.); Teaching; Traveling; US Bureau of Land Management

Partial Transcript: So what were some of your favorite subjects when you were

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher explains her love for science and english, and how science has influenced her brewery colleagues. She discusses her hopes to be a wildlife biologist, and the access she had to an excellent science education growing up. Schumacher then describes the social sports events she helped plan at her high school, along with the amount of activity in her community.

Keywords: Brewing chemistry; Community events; Fermentation science; High school events; Outdoor activities; School traditions; Wildlife biology

Subjects: Basketball; Biology; Chemistry; English; Marmots; Science; Science teachers; Spokane (Wash.); Traditions; Wildlife; Wildlife conservation

Partial Transcript: So what about fun things, were there movies, sports

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher discusses the importance of sports in her life as a teenager, and how specialization in sports has changed over time. She expresses her desire to have participated in school plays, and how she participated in other groups instead. She discusses the presence of street art in Spokane, and where they originated from.

Keywords: Athletic specialization; Drama clubs; High school actors; Riverside Park (Spokane, Wash.); School theatre; Student actors; Student excellence; World Expo

Subjects: Acting; City parks; High school athletes; High school sports; High school student activities; School plays; Street art; Student-athletes

Partial Transcript: So when you were thinking about high school, what you

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher explains her reasoning for choosing to attend Carroll College in Helena, Montana, and how the college application process has changed since she applied. She describes the programs and community surrounding the college, and how they appealed to her. She discusses her admiration for the natural beauty in Montana, her puzzlement at the religious culture on her campus, and her parents’ response to her college choice.

Keywords: Biophilia; Catholic colleges; College--Greek life; Competitive universities; Conservative communities; Outdoor activities; Religious colleges; Washington State University

Subjects: Biology; Carroll College (Helena, Mont.); Catholicism; College; College applications; Community service; Conservative; Montana; Religious communities; University of Montana--Missoula

Partial Transcript: So you go to Montana, studying biology. At that point,

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher recounts her feelings about a teaching career from when she was growing up, and how she ended up pursuing a teaching degree several years after college. She describes the challenges of studying biology for wildlife work in a pre-med focused program. She details her early jobs in various businesses and for the US Forest Service following college graduation. Schumacher discusses how coming out changed her community and career approach, and the challenges of navigating the world in her new identity.

Keywords: Biology--Teaching; College graduation; Outdoor equipment stores; Teaching licenses; U.S. Forest Service; Wildlife biology

Subjects: Biology; Carroll College (Helena, Mont.); Coming out (Sexual identity); Coming out (Sexual orientation); Eastern Washington University; Human biology; Odd jobs; Pre-medical education; Recreational Equipment, Inc.; Teaching; United States. Forest Service; Wildlife; Wildlife conservation

Partial Transcript: So is Eastern Washington in Spokane? How long were you in school there?

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher identifies where Eastern Washington University is located, and describes her process of taking breaks from the program to rejoin the forest service. She emphasizes the importance of practical experience in teacher education. She discusses her preference to work with teenagers, and the challenges of working with this group as an introvert.

Keywords: Education programs; Intensive college courses; Intensive college programs; Teaching certificates; Teaching licenses; Teaching schools

Subjects: Biology; Cheney (Wash.); College dropouts; Eastern Washington University; High school education; Introverts; Stage fright; Teaching; Teenagers; United States. Forest Service

Partial Transcript: So when you were thinking about getting a teaching job,

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher describes the process of searching and applying for teaching jobs, and her reasoning for choosing to work near Seattle, Washington. She then discusses her early interest in craft beer in the late 1990s, and some of the varieties she tried early on. She explains her appreciation for the social aspect of drinking craft beer, her consideration of home brewing, and how the craft beer scene has changed in Seattle since she moved there.

Keywords: Beer culture; Craft beer; Craft breweries; Widmer Hefeweizen

Subjects: Beer and brewing; Biology; Breweries; Federal Way (Wash.); Seattle (Wash.); Teaching

Partial Transcript: What was it that, what did you like to do in Seattle?

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher discusses her attraction to the Seattle area for the natural environment and the weather, and how Seattle has grown since she first moved there. She describes the variety of cuisine available in Seattle, along with the access to agriculture through the farmers’ markets.

Keywords: Asian cuisine; Asian food; Cities--Development; Cities--Growth; Moving between places; Outdoor activities; Seattle (Wash.)--Food culture

Subjects: Agriculture; Cooking; Farmers' markets; Food cultures in America; Nature; Pike Place Market (Seattle, Wash.); Rain; Seattle (Wash.); Small cities; Traveling

Partial Transcript: I guess I'm also, I'm curious about how- so you're teaching biology

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher describes her awareness of her identity as a female teacher, her ability to connect with students based on that, and potential differences from her male colleagues. She emphasizes the emotional and energetic limits of teachers as regular people, and the assumptions the public make about teachers. She explains the emotional labor that went into her job, and how that contributed to her decision to leave. Schumacher then discusses her privacy about her sexual orientation at work, and her efforts to make the school community more inclusive of LGBTQ+ students. She reflects on how the cultural context at different times dictate the way people behave after coming out.

Keywords: Inclusion; LGBTQ+ community; Ordinary people; Super-humans; Teaching experience; Teaching--Expectations

Subjects: Federal Way (Wash.); Gay-straight alliances in schools; Identity; Religious communities; Sexual orientation; Social progress; Superpower; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching--methods; Women in STEM; Women in education; Women in science; Work-life balance

Partial Transcript: So around 2010, was that when you started thinking

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher describes the long process she underwent to leave her position as a teacher, and the reasoning behind her resignation. She discusses the challenge of trying to switch career, and how home brewing was a factor in her interest with the brewing industry. She details her education process in brewing, and her specific areas of focus as a home brewer. She notes how her online education introduced her to the supportive community in the industry. She recounts the different ways she worked to gain experience with brewing and public service, including becoming a certified cicerone.

Keywords: Beer--Styles; Brewing community; Cicerone certification; Craft beer; Head brewers; Home brewing; India Pale Ales (IPAs); Job resignation; Kegerators; Porter (Beer)

Subjects: Aging; Bartending; Beer and brewing; Beer industry; Brewing industry; Career changes; Cicerone; Lager; Marriage; Resignation; Resignation of employees; Restaurants; Teachers; Teaching; Temperature control; YouTube (Electronic resource)

Partial Transcript: So you dropped the "became a cicerone." So that's a pretty big deal,

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher recounts how she found out about the cicerone certification program, and why she decided to pursue it. She compares the skills developed in the program with those in her interest as a brewer. She describes the publicity she got from her friends in the restaurant industry when she passed the test, and her difficulty with self-promotion. Schumacher then discusses the curriculum she made to prepare for the test, and the methods she used to learn about brewing styles and flavors. She notes how her wife assisted her in studying for the test, and the value in using various teaching techniques to enhance learning.

Keywords: Beer--Sales; Beer--Styles; Brewing--Education; Cicerone certification; Historical context; Learning styles; Sound systems

Subjects: Audio-visuals; Beer and brewing; Brewing--History; Cicerone; Curriculum; Curriculum development; Education; Organization; Project management; Public service; Teaching

Partial Transcript: So at that point, you're working in the service industry

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher describes her experiences working as a bartender in a friends’ restaurant, and the influence her friends had on her skills as a businessperson and her decision to open a brewery. She emphasizes the value of visualizing your dreams as a reality when pursuing them. Schumacher then discusses the challenges of making ancient beer recipes, and how she would try to interpret them with modern methods.

Keywords: Bars and restaurants; Beer--Production; Beer--Styles; Business advice; Gruit beer; Hawaiian food; Home brewing; Korean food; Restaurant industry

Subjects: Bars; Beer and brewing; Breweries; Brewing equipment and supplies; Brewing--History; Mentorship; Public service; Restaurants

Partial Transcript: So, okay, fast-forwarding- 2013, is that, what were those

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher recounts how she met her head brewer and business partner, and how her dream of opening a brewery was realized through joining him and another friend in their new business. She describes the difficult task of choosing a suitable location for the brewery within Seattle, and the benefit of being surrounded by the community of the Ballard neighborhood. She discusses the unique culture of the neighborhood, and how the culture is changing with the arrival of more breweries. She notes her worry of displacing the fishing community located in the neighborhood, as well as her pride in positively contributing to the area.

Keywords: Business advice; Business ownership; Business partnership; Crafts people; Cultural displacement; Fishing communities; Fishing culture; Local culture

Subjects: Artisans; Ballard (Seattle, Wash.); Beer and brewing; Breweries; Brewing equipment and supplies; Community; Creativity; Cultural Diversity; Displacement; Diversity; Fishing; Neighborhoods; Seattle (Wash.)

Partial Transcript: How has, so is the fishing industry still thriving generally in this area?

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher describes how the Ballard neighborhood is shifting through the arrival of department stores, and how that change is reflected in the overall growth and real estate issues of the city. She notes the Seattle natives’ complaints about migrations into the city, and how these migrations do benefit the local economy. She then discusses the crafts person, artisanal nature of the Ballard neighborhood, and she compares the brewing community in Washington to the one in Oregon. She examines the differences in technical background between Oregon and Washington brewers.

Keywords: Brewing industry--Oregon; Brewing industry--Washington; Brewing techniques; Business collaboration; Business competition; Community landscapes; Craft beer; Population influx; Self-promotion; Stoup Brewing Company

Subjects: Amazon.com, Inc.; Beer and brewing; Brewing industry--Oregon--Portland--History; Competition; Department stores; Human migration; Oregon; Real estate; Washington

Partial Transcript: So I am curious about Pink Boots Society, and your thoughts

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher states that brewers have to be careful when discussing sexism in the industry with the press, and that the community in general is very welcoming. She reflects on her interactions with male brewers and male customers, and how her experiences with sexism could be similar to those in other industries. She discusses the importance of representation in mitigating sexism in the brewing industry, and the complication of being seen as a representative for all women brewers. Schumacher then explains her feelings about the Pink Boots Society, and how its function may change with time. She examines the issue of sexist beer labels, and how consumers and brewers can fight against it economically. She describes the differences in discussion between male brewers and female brewers, and her appreciation for building community with other women in the industry.

Keywords: Craft brewing; Ethos and gender; Fahrendorf, Teri; Gendered segregation; Gendered structures; Offensive advertising; Representatives for women; Sexism in advertising; Social bonding; The Pink Boots Society; Women in brewing

Subjects: Artists; Beer and brewing; Breweries; Capitalism and sexism; Ethos; Inspiration; Role models; Segregation; Sexism in mass media; Sexism in political culture; Social justice; Social media; Women in industry

Partial Transcript: What is something that has, like, surprised and delighted you

Segment Synopsis: Schumacher describes her pride in her business as it has grown and sustained its unique character in the community. She discusses her role as the employee manager for the taproom, and the importance of hiring welcoming staff has in their brewery. She explains the goals she and her co-owners have in terms of growing the business within their neighborhood. She reflects on her sources of pride as a business owner, and her interactions with her role models within the industry. Schumacher finally notes her enjoyment of riding the ferry to Shaw Island from Seattle.

Keywords: Business development; Business growth; Business values; Consistency; Craft beer; Employee management

Subjects: Beer and brewing; Breweries; Community; Friendliness; Quality assurance; Small businesses; Sustainability; Teaching; Values; Values and capitalism