Belize Brewing Company (BBCo) boasts that it is proud of Team Member Ms. Carina Cal, a young Belizean who has excelled in a role traditionally held by men. Carina is BBCo’s first female brewer, and her story is as interesting as the job she has embraced.
Born in Punta Gorda and raised in Yo Creek, Orange Walk by a single mother, Carina knew from a young age that she wanted to work in the sciences. After completing primary school as the Valedictorian, she was awarded a scholarship to Muffles College, where she continued her focus on science. Carina’s excellent grades in high school resulted in her being chosen as a recipient for a sixth-form scholarship by the Social Security Board. At the University of Belize, she double majored in biology and chemistry, completing her associate degree in 2015.
Carina joined BBCo in 2015 at the tender age of 18 as a Junior Lab Technician. Over the next few years, she was promoted to Senior Lab Technician and then Microbiology Lab Supervisor.
Based on her outstanding work in the Lab, in 2021, Carina was offered the opportunity to train as a brewer, and she immediately accepted. With the advantage of her lab experience and after some intense training with master brewers, Carina learned the brewing process from start to end, including chemical and microbiological analysis and fermentation.
As Carina puts it, “While the job involves a lot of physical work, I have learned to work smarter, not harder, and become more efficient over time.”
She is now Junior Head Brewer and responsible for BBCo’s pilot brews and the Two-5 craft brews, which are growing in popularity around the country. Carina’s training continues as she explores new beer flavors and styles and learns more about the creative process. Her goals are to complete her bachelor’s degree in Applied Chemistry, which she juggles with her job and being a mother to a one-year-old. Eventually, Carina hopes to expand her knowledge and earn the title of Brew Master.
Belize Brewing Company says it is proud of Carina’s accomplishments and continues working to create new opportunities for young Belizeans.
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