Women of Beer: Lucy Teusink

By Kerri Allen

 When people speak with industry veterans across Georgia’s craft beer scene, one name that may bubble to the top is someone many know by experience, reputation and passion: Lucy Teusink, the co-founder of Frameshift Fermentation, a nomadic brewery founded in 2020. Though her official title of "co-founder" seems simple, her resume reads more like a guided tour through the beating heart of Georgia’s evolving beer culture.

 "Currently, my only official title is co-founder of the nomadic brewery Frameshift Fermentation,” Lucy explains. “Readers might know me more recently from my work with taprooms and craft beer brands across North Georgia and the metro area, or through our invitational craft beer bonanza at My Parents’ Basement Pub in Avondale Estates.”

But how does someone become a “mover and shaker” in one of the country’s most creative craft beer scenes? For Lucy, the answer starts not in a brewery but in a coffee shop.

Coffee to Craft: A Journey Through Beer, Community & Change

“My path to craft beer was paved in craft coffee,” she says, reflecting on her upbringing in a house where sensory exploration was a shared language. “I grew up with a coffee geek dad and learned to nerd out about sensory experience and extraction techniques at a young age.”

It wasn’t until 2013 - the year Lucy turned 21 - that she began stepping into the beer world firsthand. “Close friends I met through working in coffee took me under their wing in the craft beer scene,” she recalls. “That year, I finally got to partake in a beer at Decatur's Brick Store Pub instead of simply attending meetups and admiring the pub's impressive inventory and presentation.”

While working as a cake decorator and barista at Whole Foods, Lucy found herself wandering the beer aisles after shifts, mixing six-packs to try a variety of beer brands. Her curiosity didn’t go unnoticed. “The Specialty Team Leader — shoutout to Leon, love you bro — was the beer buyer who noticed my studying," she recalls. "Eventually, Leon let me curate the public tastings based on my knowledge of the Georgia craft beer scene.” And just like that, Lucy's love for craft beer found its foundation at the intersection of community and creativity.

From Volunteer to Visionary

Ask Lucy to summarize her beer career in one paragraph, and you’ll likely get a warm laugh from her as she declares, “Oh goodness, I can’t do that in one paragraph!”

She began in 2015 as a pouring volunteer at Gate City Brewing in Roswell, eventually becoming the General Manager of one of the fastest-growing taprooms in Georgia by 2017. From there, her journey meandered through some of the state’s most respected breweries and beer institutions - Wild Heaven in Avondale Estates, the revered Brick Store Pub and production stints at Scofflaw and Orpheus breweries.

Lucy has worn nearly every brewery hat imaginable: Packaging Manager, Assistant Beer Manager, Cellar Technician, Sales Representative, General Manager and more. Whether she was helping break wholesaler depletion records or guiding Variant Brewing’s front-of-house culture, her hands were always elbow-deep in the work. “I like to think the best ingredient in a great beer is great people,” she says.

A Career of Standout Moments

Among Lucy's many milestones, one that stands out most is her recent election to the Board of Directors for the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild. “I was super surprised and honored,” she recalls. “Cherry Street Brewing's Nick Tanner nominated me, and the members must have resonated with my experiences, because I became the youngest board member in the guild's 14-year history - without ever having owned a production facility.” Though Lucy had to resign the position after leaving her role at Crooked Culture Brewing, she remains active in the guild community. “I always took representing my colleagues very seriously and won’t forget their trust in me.”

Other highlights of Lucy's career include collaborating with some of Georgia’s best breweries and launching Frameshift Fermentation’s wild ale projects across Georgia. “If you’ve never been to a Frameshift release event, hit up our social media to make sure you don’t miss out,” Lucy says.

New Chapters and Old Roots

Currently embracing what she calls “Free Agency,” Lucy constantly finds new ways to blend her passion for coffee and beer. This includes planning multiple Frameshift collaborations and working behind the scenes to establish a new organization focused on strengthening Georgia’s beer culture. “What excites me most about leaning into free agency and getting back into the coffee world is that my extracurricular beer work will have more time to shine,” she says. Frameshift Fermentation has two collaborations on the horizon, three more brew days to schedule, and a special barrel-aged wild ale release coming soon at Twain's Brewpub in Decatur, Georgia.

The Hardest Hops

Despite her career highs, Lucy’s no stranger to beer industry obstacles. “One huge challenge has been advocating for myself and others in rooms where we are not respected,” she admits. “Patrons tend to put a brand’s owner on a pedestal without noting whether their consumer dollars are going to someone who cultivates a happy staff.” Lucy believes firmly that brewery culture begins at the top, with leadership and accountability. “There’s currently an alarming theme of brewery owners who never thought to learn leadership or management skills, and money can’t buy this. It takes work and practice.”

Shifting the Industry’s Future

As an advocate for underrepresented voices in craft beer, Lucy sees progress and hope on the horizon, especially regarding women and breweries owned by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) individuals. “According to the President of the National Black Brewers Association, BIPOC breweries make up the steepest growth sector in our industry,” Lucy says, referencing this year’s Crafted For Action brewing conference in Atlanta. “I was heartened and not at all surprised by this data.”

For Lucy, true inclusion starts with representation at every level. She adds, “No business can understand its complex market without representation of more than one type of person in the boardroom.” Through her work with Frameshift and a new organization still in development, she aims to contribute to creating a safer and more inclusive industry. “For the health and longevity of Georgia’s craft industry, the tide must shift,” she declares.

Though Lucy currently finds herself between formal roles in the beer industry for the first time in a decade, she remains a guiding light in the Georgia scene - still collaborating, still advocating and still brewing the future one pour at a time.

 

Women of Beer: Cheri Kueven

Cheri Kueven: Birmingham District Brewing Company

Birmingham, Alabama

By: Kerri Allen

 

A small craft brewery in Birmingham is quickly gaining a reputation for producing some of the best beers in the city. Birmingham District Brewing Company resides on the Birmingham Downtown Beer Trail, close to many other breweries in town. According to co-owner Cheri Kueven, the taproom pays homage to the steel industry in Birmingham, and the name references the area where the steel components are located in the city. 

Cheri Kueven is one of seven owners of Birmingham District Brewing, and six of the owners are family members - Cheri and her husband, their two children and their spouses. The final owner with a small share is a family friend.  

Breweries Create Many Tasks

Cheri's official title is Vice-President of Accounting and Compliance, but anyone who has spent time in a brewery knows she does so much more - from cleaning to bartending. According to the brewery's taproom manager, Victoria Crenshaw, “Cheri is hands-on and fun to work with. She is not only always open to new ideas and thoughts from staff, but I frequently find her engaging with customers, finding out their stories, and being a welcoming presence in the taproom. She is incredibly organized and simply takes care of things, often without us realizing it! Since becoming taproom manager, I have a greater appreciation for all the work that Cheri does behind the scenes to make this place what it is.”

Not new to owning a business, Cheri and her husband owned their own IT business back in the day. She says, “As we traveled to seminars, meetings, and trainings, we discovered craft beer. I especially loved stouts. Since a lot of great craft beer was not available in our home state of Mississippi at the time, my husband started homebrewing. When our daughter got engaged, her fiancé, already a craft beer drinker, saw our brewing equipment, got interested, and he and his future father-in-law brewed together. We had all experienced craft breweries and loved the concept, atmosphere, and feeling whenever we visited." Jokingly, the family would often talk about opening a brewery. Then one Thanksgiving, the idea came up again, and the decision was made. Birmingham District Brewing was conceived.

 A Taproom with a Family Feeling

When asked what she loves most about being a part of a brewery, Cheri replies, “What I love is the opportunity to be behind the bar, pouring beer and meeting people. I relish hearing from customers about why they visited, listening as they share parts of their lives with me, and introducing patrons to our brewery, our beers and us. It feels like opening up my home to guests. And, when we have events, it seems like all of our customers have come to a party that my family threw.” 

Cheri also notes that the brewing industry “is full of camaraderie and generally helpful people who love good beer.” She goes on to say, “We all want other breweries to succeed because good breweries bring new converts to the art who actively seek out the next beer to try and the next brewery to visit.”

 

Adding to the Community

In addition to recognizing the steel industry roots in its hometown, Birmingham District Brewing supports its community in many other ways. Cheri explains, “To fit in with the community in general, we regularly host events for non-profit groups like animal shelters, the medical community, kids’ groups, the public library and zoo. Further, we donate merchandise to organizations to help with off-site fundraisers, like silent auctions and raffles. To boost the craft beer industry in Alabama and let people know about us, we participate in multiple beer fests and other tasting opportunities.” 

Birmingham District Brewing is quickly becoming known as one of the city’s best breweries. Cheri expounds, “The taproom is the vehicle for getting folks in so they can try the beers. Our goal is to be a welcoming spot with activities that invite people to come out and spend some time with us. We encourage people to reserve space, free of charge, for their own personal celebrations, remembrances, work meetings, etc. It is so fun to see people celebrating birthdays, weddings, an upcoming baby or watching workers meet up to plan and bond.”

Challenges Lead to Rewards

Cheri admits that running a small business is her biggest challenge. She notes, “We own a small business in a highly regulated industry with lots of license hurdles to maintain. Brewing the beer, packaging and pouring is the fun part!”

When asked why women are important to the industry, Cheri responds, “Women are vital to this industry just as anyone knowledgeable and talented is. We celebrate the women in the brewing industry, not to create a gender divide, but to ensure that we are creating an industry that is looking for talent, commitment, and drive in all genders.”

Cheri extends a strong, heartfelt invitation for anyone headed to the Birmingham area to stop by the brewery and try her beers. She says there is always something going on and, of course, great beers on tap. She points out that Oktoberfest ranks as her favorite time of the year, and the brewery's Oktoberfest Marzen always tastes wonderful.