Watch CBS News

Guinness Brewery's Hollie Stephenson Leaves Role, New Head Brewer To Be Named

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Hollie Stephenson, the head brewer at Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe, is leaving.

"While we will miss her greatly, we are very happy for Hollie. She played a big role in our success story to date, and her passion for her craft and community is downright infectious, " said Brewmaster Peter Wiens. "We're rooting for her as she goes on to build her skillset in a new capacity in the Diageo family."

WJZ spoke to Stephenson in March 2020 about blazing a trail for women in the brewing industry.

"What a head brewer does entirely depends on the brewery that you're at and the size that you are," she said then. "I manage the schedules. I manage the tap list that we have here in the taproom."

It's one of the most important jobs in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

"I mean it's definitely a growing demographic, because of people putting serious effort into it, but yeah, we're still a very small percentage," Stephenson said.

In 2019, Stephenson was named Imbibe Magazine's Beer Person of The Year, and for good reason. In just a year and a half, she's helped Open Gate welcome more than 600,000 guests.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.