From The Archives

Creating the society of Societe: Lia Garcia

This piece originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of West Coaster Magazine. Garcia is now the head of social, sales & marketing at Hoppy Beer Gear, a San Diego-based merchandise and brand development company catering to the craft beer industry.

When it comes to feeling welcome in a tasting room, not every brewery is created equal. Sometimes it’s an austere industrial interior that feels too sterile to relax in. Sometimes it’s a bartender who feels compelled to quiz patrons on obscure beer knowledge before pouring them the requested pint. 

But sometimes it’s that elusive, indefinable feeling of approachability that distinguishes genuinely accepting breweries from those simply making beer. In my experience, Societe Brewing Company is one of these spaces. It’s largely thanks to Lia Garcia, Societe’s tasting room & brewery tour manager.

“I always say beer is for everyone. Whether you have $5 in your pocket or $5 million, we’ll find something for you to drink,” says Garcia. 

Her empathetic approach to people is heavily influenced by her global travels. After graduating from California State University, Long Beach with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, she spent several years teaching in South Korea and backpacking throughout Asia. She credits her time overseas as the inspiration of her unique style of customer service that she emphasizes to all front-of-house staff at Societe.

“Traveling has changed my outlook in general,” she explains. “I have more patience and compassion… it’s nice to be patient. You never know what someone’s going through, and I’ve been an outsider in other countries plenty of times. I don’t ever want anyone to feel unwelcome here. Just treat people with respect, the way you want to be treated.”

Garcia’s inclusive attitude and friendly demeanor have served her well in her tenure in the local beer industry. Her unofficial introduction to San Diego beer was volunteering at various beer festivals before moving into catering and special events, a brief stint at the now-closed URBN St. Brewing Company in El Cajon, ChuckAlek’s tasting room in North Park (also closed) and finally Societe. 

She laughs at the weird and winding way she made it into beer from her original goal of becoming a trainer for athletes. “I’ve always loved planning events. Birthday parties, Halloween parties, Christmas, baby showers, anything.” She was the event manager for a year and a half at ChuckAlek before moving to Societe, where she was initially hired as a part-time beertender. Garcia smiles easily at the thought of how far she’s come.

“I think I ended up where I’m supposed to end up,” she says. “I love smiling, being out and about, and making people happy. I like bringing a smile to people’s faces.”

Garcia says it was the people behind the beer that ultimately converted her from her college years of “high heels and martinis” to “a more relaxed version of myself.”

But she’s quick to point out it was that same inspiring community that’s helped her get to where she is today. “I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for a lot of people,” she asserts. She’s been involved with multiple groups including the Pink Boots Society, the San Diego Brewers Guild, and the San Diego State University beer certification program and hopes to do more to give back to the local beer community.

Her advice to those looking to break into the beer scene is simple. 

“Start drinking beer. Start drinking good beer. Start drinking good craft beer. Get educated, whether it’s in a beer drinking club or SDSU or UCSD. Find a mentor. I have a lot of people who reach out to me, and… I love to be able to help people out. I want to help everyone and give them the opportunities people gave me. I’m always here. I’m always available.”

In the meantime, Garcia is adamant that Societe is for everyone. “Beer doesn’t judge. So why should we?”

Prohibitchin' is made possible by a sponsorship from Hopsbauer, a woman-owned hops brokerage company based in San Diego. Hopsbauer brings the best hops from around the world to craft breweries. Find out more by visiting Hopsbauer.com, and thanks to Liz Bauer for her generous support!