Denizens Brewing Co. garnered attention recently for being a majority woman-owned brewery now in its 10th year in business, breaking the barriers in a heavily male-dominated industry.

This past week, Co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Julie Verratti, who co-owns Denizens with her wife Emily Bruno and their brother-in-law Jeff Ramirez, appeared on the TV news show “Morning Rush” for a segment on women in craft brewing.

Verratti, who is also an associate administrator at the U.S. Small Business Administration under the Biden administration, said the biggest challenge in starting Denizens in 2013 was getting startup money, saying 11 out of 13 banks they approached wouldn’t even meet with them.

“If you are someone who does not have those built-in networks already, getting a bank to take you seriously and sit down with you can be difficult,” she said.

According to a recent survey by the Brewers Association, a trade group for independent and craft brewers, only roughly one out of every four brewery owners are women. Even in breweries with multiple owners, the majority had no women.

At the same time, women beer drinkers under 25 now outnumber men, and analysts worry that may leave the industry with “blind spots” on its own best customers.

You can check out the full interview on “Morning Rush” here.

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