PHOENIX — The names of the beers at Greenwood Brewing in downtown Phoenix tell a story.
"'Herstory' is by far one of our most popular flagships. It's an old home-brewed recipe of mine... it has a story of empowerment behind it. It's my story building the space and women['s] stories in general," says Megan Greenwood on Saturday morning while sharing her story of surviving launching a business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Megan is an engineer by trade but says her passion for making craft beer began when her roommate gifted her an at-home beer-making kit.
"I would come to downtown to go out and have fun and go to the restaurants and the symphony. I just felt the vibrance and what it was going to be. I would walk up 5th Street and every time I'd walk up this street, I was like, 'I'm putting a brewery on 5th Street, I'm putting a brewery on 5th Street.'"
In 2018, construction at 5th Street and Roosevelt began.
"So this [is] where our brewery is. That's a new building, it was a parking lot."
The brewery would be called "Greenwood Brewing" after her last name.
Almost two years of construction, work culminated in April of 2020.
"We were ready to open our doors and within 15 days, it was just a total stop to anything moving forward."
Three months later, breweries were allowed to stay open and in production so Megan took a leap of faith.
"When we opened, it was, if we don't open we may never open," added Megan.
Through that rough time of not being able to use indoor space due to COVID restrictions, Megan and her team made it work.
"When we built I was like, 'I want as much outdoor seating as possible' and little did I know that it was going to be a saving grace when we opened," she added.
This weekend as she celebrates their first anniversary, she gives credit to her team who powered through the darkest days no one could have seen coming, as they continued to create and craft beer.
ABC15 asked Megan how she picks the beer's names.
"Sometimes, it's just trying the beer and seeing what inspires you. Sometimes, it's the timing. 'The Warrior' was when we opened. We launched a hazy IPA and at the time our team, everyone was trying to stay positive at a time when there was so much negativity around."
Women like Megan make up 2% of brewery owners across the country. Megan believes her business will only continue to grow.
She says her main business is the production and distribution of quality beer. She already sends it out to 100 restaurants, distributors and grocery stores across Arizona.
"At the end, you get a beverage that puts a smile on your face and gets you a little rosy cheeks and so that's the best product that I can make."
