SAN DIEGO — Talk to Samantha Olson for five minutes, and you’ll realize right away how much science and love she infuses into each beer she brews.

“It’s basically just chemistry and biology in art form,” she said.

Olson is a chemical engineer who used to work in the agricultural industry in research and development. She wanted a more creative outlet for her work, so she drove across the country from North Carolina to complete the UCSD Brewing Certificate Program.

Olson then moved on to the UC Davis Master Brewers certificate program before completing the International Master Brewers and Distillers Test.

She is currently the head brewer at Mujeres Brew House, an all female-run and Latina-owned brewery. Besides inventing some of the most creative beers in Southern California, Olson and Mujeres are also creating a safe space for women and people of color to enjoy craft beer.

“It’s such a male-dominated and especially white-dominated industry,” Olson said. “So we make delicious, fun, unique beers.”

Olson recently created an Ube Double IPA that was purple, in honor of the late singer Selena, as well as a Tamarindo Hefeweizen.

A survey from the Brewers Association found that male brewery owners outnumbered women three-to-one. Less than 3% of breweries are owned entirely by women.

Lia Garcia has managed tasting rooms and done graphic design for many breweries. She’s helping to reimagine the gender and race of the craft beer industry.

“We’re helping each other find our voice and stand out in a crowd of bearded brewers,” she said with a laugh.

Garcia is part of the Pink Boots Society, an organization that helps women and non-binary individuals move up through the ranks of the beer industry through education, encouragement and inspiration. She believes the value diversity brings to the industry goes way beyond the flavors they create.

“We really want to encourage people to continue their education and feel empowered in their position,” she said. “And it doesn’t have to be a male-dominated industry anymore. We really want to allow people to feel that they have the knowledge to grow within their company or to branch off and start their own company.”

Olson will keep creating, brewing the way for the next generation of women to create their own beer. She has brewed at different breweries all over San Diego and even created some cider not too long ago.

“It’s really inspiring to see women actually coming up in positions of power in this industry when it really has been so dominated by men,” Olson said. “And it’s more easy to give my ideas, and it’s [a] more collaborative work environment essentially.”