Amy Cartwright is the founder of Independence Brewing Co., which she opened in 2004. At the time, it was the only female-owned brewery in Austin, Texas, and one of only two production breweries in the city limits.

Since then, she has grown the company from a small local business to a multi-state operation. Now celebrating 18 years since its inception, Cartwright reflects on how the beer industry has changed, the brewery’s history of breaking the beer-brewing mold, and the innovative ideas that will lead them into the next 18 years.

The industry has changed a lot since Amy and her husband, Rob Cartwright, made their first beer in a second-hand, 15-bbl system they found in the desert and came up with the idea for Independence Brewing. Since then, they have upgraded to a new 60-bbl system, grown their craft beer line, and expanded their distribution to other major Texas cities—San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and El Paso—as well as the state of Arkansas, with more to come including Oklahoma next year.

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