Despite weathering the COVID-19 pandemic for two years, Bearded Fox Brewing in Tomball became the second Houston-area brewery to announce it was closing for good in the last month, following recent news that 6 Wards Brewing in Dickinson had shuttered its doors.

Nothing tastes as good after a long day of driving as a cold drink. Breweries have been popping up in interesting places across the U.S. for years—you can find them in old churches, on the beach, in abandoned warehouses, and in hotels.

Two researchers take a hard look at the industry, and what happened when the pandemic laid bare the challenges (and joys) of a less conventional job.