The Bright Side: Carina Cal, the Woman behind the Brew
On tonight’s Bright Side, we bring you the story of a young woman who is making her mark in Belize’s beer industry. That’s right, Carina Cal is Belize’s first female brewer and she is setting her sights on becoming a Brew Master. But in the meantime, she loves the product she is producing and, no doubt, so do many of our viewers. Here is my interview with Carina at the Pilot Brew House.
Sabreena Daly, Reporting
To an ordinary consumer, this looks like a fresh pour of a tasty alcoholic beverage. But for this staffer of Di Brury it’s all about the science behind the making of beer. The oxidization, the presence of yeast, the darkness of the beer. …these are the things Carina Cal, the first female brewer in Belize is focused on.
Carina Cal, Junior Head Brewer, Pilot Brew House
“I often tell people that every time my dream job and my dream occupation changed, it was always in the science field. At first, I wanted to be doctor, then a veterinarian, then working in a laboratory and wearing that lab coat. But every time my dream changed it was in the science field.”
Carina Cal
Freshly graduated at the age of 18, Carina landed her first job at the largest brewing company in Belize. She spent six years as a laboratory technician and then moved up to supervisor, a test to her leadership and capabilities. But the biggest offer was yet to come.
Carina Cal
“Working all those years and realizing the importance of microbiology and the chemical aspect of a beer made me appreciate the beer even more and when I was challenged to work at this side. I was a bit afraid at first but I challenged it. Now I’m here and I’ve been doing it for almost a year and it has been a really good experience. In the laboratory, I was responsible for only the analytical and chemical testing, microbiology of the beer itself. But over here at this side I get to make the beer and also do quality control of the beer. So it’s a lot more responsibility. And I mean there are consumers that come here every day that taste our two-five beers and you have to ensure that the beer has the quality that we want to provide to our customers.”
The two-five beer is a Belikin craft line that plays on the Belizean phrase, TWO-FIVE, meaning, close friend.
Sabreena Daly
“Tell me about this one, I see pepper there.”
Carina Cal
“I was born in PG so I have a lot of family members there and I remember seeing my grand-mom roasting the peppers and grinding the peppers, so it is something that has a close relationship to me because I get the pepper from down south and I roast it myself and then we grind it here and we add it during the brew.”
It’s a role that requires strength, smarts and creativity.
Carina Cal
“The job of a brewer involves a lot of physical work. It involves lifting sacks of malt, fifty pounds or sometimes a little bit more. It involves a lot of lifting, connecting hoses, carrying hoses etc. But because of the physical work and doing all of the things that were firstly only done by men, then I feel like I am breaking the bias and making people realize that women can work in the field as well and women can do that type of work. It doesn’t really matter your physical capability but also what’s in here and you know I always tell people I try to work smart and not hard. I feel very fortunate and I feel very blessed to hold a post like that for the first time in Belize and for the company that I work for. I feel that all of the hard work that I have been doing for the seven years working here has been paying off and it just goes to show that working hard gets you places and dedicating your time and your energy at your job and doing it to the best of your ability really pays off in the end.”
And from concept, to yeast propagation, the brewing of Two-Five beers is prepared for consumers. Carina is the woman behind the taste.
Looking on the bright side of women’s month, I’m Sabreena Daly.
Cal told News Five she intends to further her studies in brewing technology and hopes to one day earn the title of Brew Master.
