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Hi, I’m Rachel.
I really love beer.
That’s where all of this begins.
But, much like beer itself, the path that brought me here has a long and complicated history.
Before entering the beverage world, I spent years studying history and archaeology, earning a master’s degree in Egyptology and learning to look at the material record as a way of understanding people: what they valued, how they lived, what brought them together, and what they left behind. It turns out beer tells many of those same stories.
Beer is one of humanity’s oldest companions. For thousands of years, it has been intertwined with agriculture, trade, religion, labor, celebration, survival, and community. That’s what fascinates me most about it. Beer isn’t simply something in our glass. It’s evidence of who we are, where we’ve been, and how we connect with one another.
Beer is history. Beer is culture. Beer is hospitality.
I’m an Advanced Cicerone®, becoming the 212th person in the world, fifth in Arizona, and first woman in Arizona to earn the certification. In less nerdy terms: I know a lot about beer, I’ve spent an unreasonable amount of time studying it, and I still believe the most important thing we can do with that knowledge is share it. Because beer education shouldn’t be about proving how much you know. It should make beer more approachable, service more thoughtful, and the experience around the glass better.
Education, Hospitality & Community
I’m the co-founder of Beer Babes Family™, a charitable organization operating in the United States and Canada that supports women in the beer industry through collaborative beers, community building, and business grants.
I’m also the co-founder of Craft Connections, a beverage education summit bringing together beer educators, hospitality professionals, and industry leaders to learn from one another and explore how better education can create better guest experiences.
On any given week, you can find me teaching Beer School, pouring pints, producing events, creating marketing content, leading tastings, talking beer history, or helping someone find the words to describe what they’re tasting.
I’m based in the Phoenix area and teach a monthly Beer School at Bone Haus Brewing in Fountain Hills, Arizona, where we explore everything from sensory evaluation and beer styles to ingredients, service, history, and the wonderfully nerdy details that make beer so interesting.
I also offer private Beer School experiences, guided tastings, beer dinners, staff education, and beer and hospitality consulting for breweries, taprooms, restaurants, and other beverage-focused businesses.
At the heart of all of it is a pretty simple belief: The more we understand what’s in our glass—and the people, history, and culture behind it—the more meaningful the experience becomes.
So yes, I really love beer. But mostly, I love everything beer allows us to talk about.
Let's collaborate
I'd love to work with you
