MINNESOTA— After getting burned out in her career as a pharmacist, Brittney Mikell turned to another passion; homebrewing, before rising to the ranks of assistant brewer at La Dona Cerveceria in Minneapolis.
“I’m a huge dreamer,” said Mikell.
But Mikell now has even bigger aspirations: To become the first black woman to own a brewery in Minnesota.
“The brewing industry isn’t very diverse in our state and in general as it stands,” said Mikell.
Of the more than 200 breweries in Minnesota, just a handful are owned by women or people of color.
With her Bubble Line Brewing Company set to open early next year, Mikell said she is here to help fill that gap in the industry, while in turn, helping craft brewing survive and thrive.
“We tend to get a lot of innovation and a lot of new thoughts when there’s diversity involved in the picture. I think that as the brewing world matures because it’s been around for a little bit, that innovation piece is going to be really important,” said Mikell.