Tonya Cornett (she/her) began her career at H.C. Berger Brewing Co in 1995. After gaining experience at several breweries, she decided the only way to gain respect and advance in the industry was to get a formal education. She attended the World Brewing Academy, a partnership between the Siebel Institute of Technology and Doemens Academy of Munich.
After assuming the brewmaster position at Bend Brewing Company in 2002, Tonya’s first of many accolades came in 2006 when she won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival® (GABF) in the American IPA category. During her 10 years at Bend she won eight GABF medals and four World Beer Cup® (WBC) medals. In 2008, Tonya was honored as the first woman to win the title of WBC Small Brewer of the Year.
In 2012, Tonya joined the 10 Barrel team focusing on recipe design. In 2016, 1859 Magazine included her in their list of 16 women who have made Oregon history, crediting her with “breaking the pint glass ceiling for women in the craft brewing industry.” Continuing her medal-winning momentum for 10 Barrel, she is personally responsible for eight GABF and eight WBC medals.
