We recently connected with Christa Donofrio and have shared our conversation below.

Christa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

The mission of Beer Tooth Taproom is to convert the everyday beer drinker into a well-informed enthusiastic beer consumer through education and sensory experiences.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

After surviving breast cancer including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. I decided life was too short to drink mediocre beer. I set out to learn everything I could about different styles of beer. My journey took me to a taproom that hired me as a bartender and eventually promoted me to manager. Through the process, I became a certified beer server through cicerone.org. I found my passion and my calling. I knew I wanted to teach people everything that I had learned. After studying and tasting every beer I could get my hands on, I passed the test and became a Certified Cicerone®. I knew certification would give some validity to the business I was planning. I wanted to open a taproom that could provide beer education without judgement. All of the craft beer styles can be intimidating if you are just starting out. I opened Beer Tooth (like a sweet tooth, but better) in November of 2020. The folks I have hired as Beverage Guides are required to take and pass the certified beer server test so they can help customers select the beer that matches their taste. We also offer monthly flight school in which customers get a curated flight of beer and a one hour discussion about what those beers have in common. Our goal is to serve and talk about great beer.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Ironically enough, my breast cancer in 2014 drove my passion to learn as much as I have about beer. I was unfortunately diagnosed with a different breast cancer on January 3rd of 2022. Who knew that was even possible. My chemotherapy this time lasted 7 months which was more than double what I had experienced previously. The drugs used were also different causing different side effects. This time, everything I ate or drank had a background flavor of rusted pennies. Without all of the knowledge I had gained by studying the different flavor profile of the various hops and barley, there is no way I would have been able to order beer with any level of confidence. The treatment was pure misery. I could only be in the taproom 2 days a week, but it was still my happy place. When I was feeling completely exhausted, the support from our customers lifted my spirits immensely. They made it all worth while.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I have a great memory of peoples’ palates. When I order a particular beer, I can list all of the customers who will really enjoy that specific flavor profile. I now have customers that come in and ask me what they will be drinking that day. They trust me and the other beverage guides because we pay attention and remember their preferences.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.beertoothtaproom.com
• Instagram: @beertoothtaproom
• Facebook: beer tooth taproom
• Twitter: @toothbeer

Image Credits
Swigs Photography