Sloop Brewing Co. begins second year “Open Waters” internship

East Fishkill, NY Sloop Brewing Co. is accepting applications year-round for the 2022 Open Waters internship, a program designed to promote diversity and inclusion in the craft beverage industry, now immersed in its second year.

Sloop is fully committed to equipping its paid Open Waters interns with the technical knowledge, valuable connections, and expertise to empower interns as future industry professionals. Sloop hopes to dismantle barriers to entry and pave the way for positive change in the craft beverage industry by introducing people with different backgrounds and perspectives to the world of brewing and craft beer. Interns work side by side with Sloop employees for an immersive and comprehensive training plan that brings them through each phase of the commercial production process.

“We’re looking forward to the coming year of interns and the potential of even larger growth within the internship,” said Alyssa McAuley, Sloop’s director of operations and a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. “It is incredibly humbling to see all four of our former interns find work within the industry, and with breweries that we admire greatly.”

“The internship offers hands-on training in all aspects of brewery production including packaging, cellaring, and wort production,” said Melissa Larrick, the third graduate of the Open Waters program. “Not only does it give the intern a foundation of skills needed to land a job in the brewhouse, but it also offers training on proper brewing terminology, hop, malt, and yeast education, and just an overall understanding of the nature of the beast! I had the honor and privilege of being chosen as their quarter three intern, and to say it changed my life is an understatement.”

So far, Sloop has advanced four interns toward job placement across the Hudson Valley and New York State. All interns have customized their experience one step further at Sloop to include elements of ownership, compliance, marketing, and sales to tailor the program to their individual goals.

“The Open Waters Internship provided a foot in the door and a launch point for my career trajectory I couldn’t have imagined otherwise,” said Shanna Bowman, Sloop’s second quarter intern for 2021. “Between the flexible scheduling and being paid, it made the option to learn viable in ways typical hands on experience cannot be afforded when also holding down a ‘safe and stable job for income’ these days. For the diversity aspect, Sloop made it clear from the jump that people like me are welcome and encouraged to be there, against an otherwise male dominated industry; it removed the burden of suspicion and the walls-up approach that can accompany a position among the unknown.”

The Open Waters internship is open to anyone over 21; no prior experience or brewing knowledge is required. Interns must commit to a minimum of 20 hours a week. Applications for the upcoming 2022 second quarter are being accepted now through April 1. Applications received after that date will be considered for subsequent quarters.