Meet Anna Jensen | Director of Houston Operations at Urban South Brewery

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Jensen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, what do you attribute your success to?
I think a great contributing factor to the success of our brand has been our ability to stay relevant in a fluctuating craft beer market. We strive to make crowd pleasing and affordable beers based on what our customers want. We don’t expand distribution too quickly but rather grow deep within each market we are in. We also work to lay down strong roots investing in building up both our people as well as our additional locations. We don’t want to just sell beer; we want to be a part of the communities and culture that bring beer drinkers together.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My entire education was built on a path leading towards a position in the medical field. However, while I was in college, the craft beer industry was starting to make great strides in growth and innovation, it was something I found a real passion for as I was entering the workforce. That is when I made the life-changing decision to let my career path follow my passions over my plans and for that passion to lead me wherever I needed to go to continue to grow. Fast forward to early 2018 when I joined Urban South Brewery in New Orleans, Louisiana in the infancy of their business. I strategically worked my way up the ladder as our company continued to grow successfully across the Southeast region. In December 2021, I made the decision to leave my home in New Orleans and move to Houston to take over running our brewery and business operations there. It was a huge decision that involved a lot of change both personally and professionally, but at the end of the day it was an easy decision to make. I have a strong work ethic and a passion for overcoming challenges, this was an opportunity to grow tremendously in my field while also utilizing the many skills I had gained in my career over the years. I now work as the Director of Operations in Houston leading all operations of our brewery, taproom and distribution in the great state of Texas.
It is a really exciting time to be a woman leading a brewery in what has long been known to be a male dominated industry. There are a lot of women taking leading roles in the industry from ownership and administration to brewers and production and so on. We are pioneers of change, challenging this industry by offering new perspectives, cutting-edge ideas and above all, uplifting one another every step of the way. I would love for my legacy in this industry to be among these great women, especially while working for a powerhouse brewery such as Urban South.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live and work within the Loop, so in true Houston fashion I tend to never leave it if I can. Luckily there are a lot of really great places to see, eat, drink and hangout all without having to stray too far from home! One of my favorite things about Houston has been the immense food scene, there is no shortage of great restaurants to satisfy your palate. My personal must eat restaurants include Bludorn, Nancy’s Hustle and Nobie’s but I also have to give a shoutout to my favorite quick bite spots: Mico’s Hot Chicken, Burger Bodega and Cantina Barba.
For hangouts and drinks, I have two go-to areas that I like to take visiting friends for a good bar hopping experience: Montrose and EaDo. From playing pinball at Poison Girl to rocking in hammocks at Axelrad, I have found both areas offer a fun variety of options from dive bars to cocktail lounges and of course some great breweries.
Visiting museums, playing games at Cidercade, having a picnic in Memorial Park, catching the Astros at Minute Maid or enjoying some live music at one of Houston’s many venues are other exciting ways I like to spend my time in this great city.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would have to dedicate my success in the craft beer industry to Urban South Brewery. I worked in the service and hospitality industries for most of my working career, I had been trying to break into the craft beer industry for quite some time as it was a huge passion of mine but had very little luck without prior brewery experience. Urban South took a chance on me and built me into the industry professional that I am today. Not only did I learn a lot about the craft beer industry, but they taught me the ins and outs of the business; what it takes to successfully run a brewery, strong team leadership skills, the intricacies of beverage distribution, and so much more. I am truly grateful for the opportunities they have given me and to be part of such a great company filled with like-minded individuals all working towards building success by following our passions in this ever-changing industry.

Website: www.urbansouthbrewery.com

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