So, wait… you don’t drink?
I don’t usually drink. I’m kind of a typical Asian person who lacks the enzyme to deal with it, so when I drink I turn really red and act crazy. Like, sometimes I do splits. [Lucia takes out her phone and shows us a photo of her doing a split].
So you don’t drink, but do you still know a lot about beer?
When I started this job, I started from zero! But I can determine beers based on smell. Sometimes a person will come in and point to a beer and say: “I want that one” and the bartender will be like: “Three different beers look like that. Which one are you talking about?” But if I’m there, I say: “Actually, do you mind if I smell it?” and I can tell right away.
Tell us about your background.
I grew up in Argentina. My parents own a Chinese restaurant there, so I grew up bussing tables and making spring rolls. They made me realize you need to bust your ass and work hard to be successful. When they emigrated from China, they got robbed in L.A. en route to Argentina and literally arrived with two dollars. Now they’re fine, but my dad worked every kind of blue-collar job to make it that way.
What’s Great Leap’s role in China’s growing craft beer scene?
Craft beer isn’t identified as an industry in China. There aren’t really regulations for it. So [Great Leap co-founder] Carl wants to show the government here how craft beer can be done right. In that sense, Great Leap has always been a pioneer, and set a good path for the future. And if they do it right, there’ll be more room for other breweries, too.
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