While attending college in Muncie, Indiana, Sawyer's love affair with craft beer ignited. Once they turned 21, Sawyer started bartending at a local craft beer taproom near campus. From sweaty days spent behind the taps at a local craft beer bar to engaging in animated conversations about hop varieties with fellow enthusiasts, Sawyer's journey unfolded.

“I began to see a future in it all, with my education focusing on communications and digital media, plus my blossoming love for beer.”

Soon after, Sawyer's path took a pivotal turn upon landing in Indianapolis. Seizing the opportunity as a taproom lead at Centerpoint Brewing, Sawyer immersed themselves in the rhythm of brewery operations and shortly discovered a passion for marketing. Unfortunately, a career in marketing at Centerpoint wasn't in the cards at that time, but Sawyer remained undeterred, eagerly awaiting the chance to align their aspirations with the right opportunity. 

In 2021, a relocation to Lexington, Kentucky, led them to the next chapter in their beer journey - a position at Blue Stallion Brewing, a decade-old brewery dedicated to producing German-style beers. And what was the role? Pursuing their goal and making it happen, Sawyer took the reins as Marketing and Events Director.  

“It’s been a long, bumpy road to this point for me—but I would be remiss to say it hasn’t made me a stronger, more vocal leader for voices like mine in craft beer,” Sawyer says. “I recently was invited to the “Beer Is For Everyone” panel held by Louisville Ale Trail for Louisville Beer Week at Noble Funk Brewing to speak on diversity & inclusion in the industry as the only trans individual on the panel.” 

Learn more about Sawyer’s career goals and journey in the beer industry below! 

Instagram: @TomSawyerCreative 

City: Lexington, Kentucky

Pronouns: They/He

Ethnicity: White

What is something you are proud of in your craft beer journey so far?

In my craft beer journey so far, I'm proud of the impact I've made in my community and my state as a visible trans person and that my position has allowed me to start more conversations and initiate more projects within my brewery related to advocacy, allyship, and showing up to do the work. 

How will you use this grant opportunity to further your craft beer journey?

This grant would help me immensely with multiple things: I would be able to purchase tools for content creation, pay for new editing software, and I would love to use part of the grant/stipend to start a fund where we, at Blue Stallion, are able to bring more diverse vendors, educators, and local entertainment that feature people underrepresented in the community that can use a venue like our taproom to showcase their talents, tools, and teachable skills. I would be thrilled to learn from some of the best marketing folks in the beverage industry, and their knowledge would help me in remarkable ways. A lot of the things I do now as a marketing director are self-taught, and gaining more tools of the trade would help me in my career as well as Blue Stallion Brewery, that I love dearly.

“I love this industry, even for all its problems and its flaws, and I see myself staying in the beverage world for many years to come.”

- Sawyer Robbins

Any favorite brews or other beverages you enjoy? Breweries or bars that are your favorite that you’d like to share?

I’m a big fan of Trouble Bar in Louisville, not just for having incredible cocktails and bourbons, but for being loudly LGBTQ-friendly, harm reduction-focused, and community-centered. (Their neighbors, Atrium, are one of my favorite breweries in the state other than my own!)

Is there a mantra or quote you live by?

I’m co-opting a quote from one of my favorite people here in Lexington, one miss Träshique: “We’re better together.” Without a team of friends, coworkers, and family by my side, none of the things I am able to do would be possible. It takes many hands, and I’ll be forever grateful to those folks.

Connect with Sawyer on Instagram: @TomSawyerCreative