California Groundbreakers

Here's the final "Icebreaker" mini-podcast focused on California Groundbreakers in the beer industry, in advance of our live "Brewmasters" event on October 11 . Like many beer lovers, Kate Whelan started out as a homebrewer. But she was tired of talking only with guys about beer. So she co-founded HopBroads nearly five years ago, a group focused on attracting more women to the craft beer culture. She's also a member of Pink Boots Society, which supports and promotes women working in the craft brewing industry ( one superstar Pink Boots member is Crooked Lane Brewery head brewmaster Teresa Psuty, who just won a Gold for her Wobblor Dopplebock at the Great American Beer Festival). Now she's the director of Sacramento Beer Week, a major brewfest scheduled for May 2018 that's guaranteed to draw tens of thousands of people. That means Whelan is in charge of turning around a once-rudderless ship and boosting Sacramento's cred -- and its 60-plus breweries -- to beer drinkers statewide. Whelan took time out dur