Courtesy Fort Brewery & Pizza
Sandra Murphy
Fort Brewery & Pizza hires Sandra Murphy as head brewer, who hopes to eliminate sexism in the industry.
It was a quick ascension to the position of head brewer for Murphy — having only arrived at Fort Brewery in January after her three-year stint at Panther Island Brewing.
The master brewer has come a long way since brewing crafty flavors at she and her husband’s house. Wishing to put her knowledge of beer to use, Murphy became a beer tender at Panther Island Brewing in 2019 and quickly climbed the ranks to head brewer.
“I wanted to stay in the background and be known as a brewer and not as a rare occurrence,” Murphy says. “I was shocked when I found out I was the first [head female brewer] in DFW. And, by being the first, you have to be the advocate for everyone else who’s coming behind you.”
Murphy’s love of brewing originated during her and her future husband’s first date, when he selected craft beers to make a personalized six-pack to woo Sandra — it worked, obviously.
Murphy says. “My first idea was rosewater and orange blossom saison and my husband thought I was crazy and he said if you're going to do it, you're going to brew it. Maybe it was to secretly get me to support the hobby more, and I fell in love with the whole process of recipe designing and brewing.”
“To me, beer is the perfect blend of creativity and science,” Murphy says. “Beer was what I fell in love with my husband over. And beer and brewing saved me. I lost my daughter in 2018 in a car accident; she was 10 years old. I had to reinvent myself because I was a stay-at-home mom for 10 years. Beer and brewing saved my life — it became my peace and my zen.”
One of Murphy’s first acts as head brewer at Fort was to introduce the Brave Noise brew, a beer tied to an organization that raises awareness over sexism in the beer industry. The idea started when brewer Brienne Allan asked on her Instagram story: Have you ever experienced sexism in the beer industry? This simple question sparked an entire movement that quickly gained momentum. As of today, there are 262 international participating breweries. Breweries subsequently began showing their support by sharing their anti-discrimination HR policies and producing a beer called Brave Noise. Proceeds from the beer go to a charity of the brewery’s choosing that supports women. Murphy chose Ladder Alliance, a Fort Worth-based nonprofit organization that helps minorities and women who experience domestic violence to live independently.
“As I was watching [Brave Noise] come about and Fort Brewery wanted to launch me as the new head brewer, I wanted this to be my stance,” Murphy says. “I wanted to make sure everyone knew that [women] aren’t hiding in the background and being quiet anymore.”
The beer itself is a recipe handed down to brewers who want to participate in the movement, but Murphy put her twist on it with a Hazy Pale Ale with Sabro and Mosaic. This blend will debut on tap May 5. All the Fort’s new beers on tap are Murphy’s creations. Her favorite, as of now, is a Cherry Blimeade Weisse that she created as an ode to her husband whose favorite drink is a cherry limeade.
“I love being the start of someone else’s story and maybe my beer will end up in someone’s mixed six-pack to impress his future wife,” Murphy says. “I always love watching and seeing people enjoy the beer that I make. I love bringing a smile to someone’s face and being able to be part of their story.”
