E-Malt.com News article: USA, CA: Brew-N-Krew Ale House close to launching in Salinas

Crumbly marzipan, sweet-savory mango with chile, cinnamon toast crunch, pulparindo candy, habaneros aren't typical flavors you find at a brewery, TheCalifornian.com reported on February 4.

Former Salinas educator Marlene Garcia, 31, owner of Brew-N-Krew Ale House, is turning these childhood flavors into her unique beer recipes.

Garcia said she wants to create a place where people can come and try flavors that connect them back to their childhood. After investing thousands of dollars in opening up her brewery, she is close to achieving her dream — in her hometown of Salinas.

"When we talk about our beer, so many people can relate to the flavors we offer," Garcia said. "A lot of them grew up the same way we did, with the same styles of flavors and everything that you see in our beer, whether it's a beer name, the beer label, the colors, the flavors, the way we present it, all of that is significant to us, and everything has a story behind it."

Garcia's parents, Graciela and Gildardo, worked in the fields after immigrating to the U.S. from Guanajuato, Mexico. Garcia said they would go to Los Angeles every month or so, five hours away, to stock up on Mexican candy, piñatas, and cassette tapes. Then, they would turn around and sell them at the Santa Cruz weekend flea market in central California, dragging their children with them.

Four years ago, Garcia left her teaching job at Virginia Rocca Barton to pursue her dream to open up a brewery.

"One day, I sat down after school, and as I was planning for the next few days of classes, I kept thinking about what I was telling my students," Garcia said. "I'm over here telling my students they can achieve all their dreams if they put in the work, so I asked myself, 'Why am I not doing that too? Why am I not pursuing what I want to do?'"

Latino small business owners such as Osornio are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S. Over the past 10 years, the number of Latino business owners grew 34%, compared to 1% for all business owners in the United States, according to a 2018 study from Stanford University.

More Latinos than ever are applying for small business loans to launch or grow their operations.

What she thought would be a more straightforward process turned out to be a nearly impossible journey. Since 2018, Garcia has faced dozens of obstacles to opening up her brewery.

Garcia broke ground in their downtown Salinas at their 155 Main St. location in 2019. The space sat unfinished for many years and is almost as old as her daughter.

"It's crazy because my daughter — she's now turning 5 —and when this started, she was a baby," Garcia said. "They both grew right next to each other."

A big challenge for Garcia was COVID-19.

The pandemic stopped construction for several months.

"In the beginning, we were very optimistic, and we thought it would be a quick process," Garcia said. "Reality came crashing down after we started going day by day and seeing, what it takes from the amount of money, time, planning, and then everything, and anything that could have gone wrong went wrong. I didn't think it would take this long … But I'm a firm believer that things happen when they're meant to happen."

Finances were also a struggle.

"We don’t come from big money. My parents worked in the fields and I am a first-generation," she said. "We applied for loans, but unfortunately, because this was a start-up, we did not qualify."

Garcia's mother is now her silent partner. The partnership allowed Garcia to avoid racking up debt and interest rates.

After nearly five years of planning, Brew-N-Krew will open in late March.

Garcia and her team are exploring new flavors to begin the brewing process, which according to her, usually takes an entire month.

"The biggest takeaway has been that things never go as planned," Garcia said. "The journey itself sucks. It is not pretty; it’s ugly, lonely and full of stress. It sounds odd to say, but I also believe that it is what makes the outcome beautiful. This journey has taught me how to be patient with the process. I've learned how to be a better student, as I have learned so much with this build-out. It’s definitely made me a stronger individual."


10 February, 2022