Alisa Bowens-Mercado is the proud owner of a beer company available across several states, FOX61 reports.
Working as a salsa instructor for 16 years, Bowens-Mercado made the decision to venture into entrepreneurship. She was motivated by her grandmothers, Mary Pullen and Delores Bowens, “who were lager drinkers back in the 1970s, and because I would partake and enjoy some wonderful lagers,” she told the outlet.
She also wanted to increase representation within the sector.
“I knew that I needed to go into business so that I could amplify voices of color in this very male-dominated industry,” Bowens-Mercado explained.
In November 2017, she launched Rhythm Brewing Co. in New Haven, CT, and made history as the state’s first Black woman-owned beer company.
“I don’t take that lightly,” Bowens-Mercado told FOX61. “It’s because I have to continue to open up doors for the future. And so, if my journey and my mission can help anyone that wants to do something or go into an industry that you typically are not represented in, then I feel it’s my duty. It’s my mission. It really is my duty to continue on this beer journey.”
In 2018, she officially launched the beer company’s flagship product, Rhythm Unfiltered Lager, her LinkedIn states. The beer is available statewide and at Whole Foods in New York. It is described as a “modern American-style lager with an ABV of 5.5% brewed with South African hops.”
The company also sells a Rhythm Blue Unfiltered Lager, which is lower in calories.
“My nickname is Lady Lager because folks know in the industry that I make solid lagers. So, it’s a great product, very refreshing, very crisp, very clean,” Bowens-Mercado mentioned.
