SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — San Diego’s first Latina-owned brewery is open in Barrio Logan and it all started when a few ladies wanted to get together to educate women about beer. News 8’s Neda Iranpour shows us how Mujeres Brew House is bringing women together while sharing the Mexican culture.
To know Carmen Favela is to know she’s a woman with a passion. A woman who appreciates her roots, her Mexican culture, and growing up in Barrio Logan, “I lived on Logan Avenue as a little girl, I went to day care on Logan Ave., my dad painted Jimmy Buffets car on Logan Ave.”
Now a business owner in the Barrio, she is making history when Carmen and co-founder Esthela Davila opened the first Latina-owned brewery in San Diego.
“It’s been amazing to see this space flourish,” Mujeres Brew House has flavors like no other.
That’s because much of the inspiration for their beers comes from their childhood.
“This is pan de muerto beer so we use all the ingredients that the pastry has,” some beers are pastry-inspired while others are similar to sours with familiar Mexican flavors, “Cheers this is hola naranja it is a goza sour so that means it has a little salt in it.”
Samantha, is one of only a handful of female brewers in town, one who Carmen is proud to work with, “experience she’s got a lot of experience and she’s passionate.”
And their efforts are being recognized by people of all backgrounds.
She points to a wall full of accolades, “these are all of the awards and articles that have come out on us.”
You’ll find a busy outdoor beer garden on any given night, they have concerts outside, with a kitchen downstairs.
And to think… all of this started as a brew club.
Carmen and Esthela began Mujeres Brew Club in 2019 and they initially expected maybe a few sign ups.
But it sold out fast, “the intent to empower Latinas to drink craft beer.”
They first gathered at Border x Brewing, nearby on Logan. That was the first Latino-owned brewery and has been around for eight years. Carmen opened it with her husband David Favela.
He says, “we make beer with a unique flare with a Latin flair.”
And now the “mujeres” get to call their new brew space their new meeting grounds.
They talk about beer, share knowledge of how to brew, exchange ideas on different beers to try, with the goal of inspiring minority women to break any barriers in the beer scene. All the while, bringing a new buzz to the Barrio.
Neda asks, “so to be able to have your brew house here in Barrio Logan, what does that mean to you?”
Carmen says, “I wouldn’t pick another place to open Mujeres Brew House.”
That’s because among her many passions would be to see her hometown thrive while preserving the rich culture that makes it so special, “for me to be able to celebrate our culture with Mexican inspired beers is super exciting. I wanted to do something to give back to my dad, my family, my parents.”
And she’s doing exactly that, one pour at a time.
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