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ORAL HISTORY

Kate Lee

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Kate Lee is the President of Hardywood Craft Brewery in Richmond, VA. Kate was born in Pittsburgh, PA. She spent her childhood moving around the United States, which exposed her to many different regional cuisines. While in college, Kate developed an interest in the beer brewing process during a food science class that focused on fermentation. She went on to have a twelve-year career at Anheuser-Busch in the quality department and as Assistant Brewmaster at the Williamsburg, VA brewery. After meeting Hardywood Park Craft Brewery co-founders Eric McKay and Patrick Murtaugh, she joined the Hardywood team as the Quality Assurance Director in 2014. Not only did she develop Hardywood’s quality program, but through the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild, she provided education to other brewers in the area on quality assurance policies and other information. In 2022, Kate Lee became the president of Hardywood. She hopes to continue to see the craft beer industry diversify in terms of its workers, as well as its clientele.