Sisterhood of the Suds
Zenia Brink & Carol White - July 15, 2010
Zenia
It seems that a lot of the biographies from beer writers start the same way. Many, including myself, drank beer without discrimination as to what we were throwing back on a Friday night. It usually consisted of whatever was in the fridge at that particular party, or whatever we could get the most of, for the least amount of money. I tried the regular culprits and I thought I was pretty cute drinking the "imported" Corona, or the occasional Dos XX.
When I graduated college I was lucky enough to find a job that actually puts my degree to use, hooray! So I started my career as a video editor and producer. The production industry is somewhat male dominated, at least on the technical side, and I worked with all men, all two of them. And these guys liked to drink beer. Hey, why not? I'll have a beer with the guys after work. But these guys liked to drink beers I had never heard of, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale? That has a lot different taste than Corona. Way too bitter for me, but I drank it, didn't want to offend.
Then one day my beer drinking world did a complete 180. My boss decided to go ahead with an idea he'd been kicking around for years; we were going to start the Beer Drinker's Guide to Colorado. Shortly after we embarked on this grand and thirst quenching adventure we were given an opportunity to try many of the finely crafted brew from the various breweries here in Colorado Springs. Not only did a door open for me, it was kicked down and a flood of knowledge came flowing out. I was in awe of all the different colors, flavors and smells of beer that existed. Some I loved (mmm porters and stouts, like dessert in a glass), and some I did not care for ( bleh IPAs, way too many hops).
So there I was, a converted beer drinker. And over the past years my appreciation and love for finely crafted brew has only grown by leaps and bounds. The more I learn, the more I love beer. My tastes have grown as well. My latest love is IPAs, the style that once turned me off so much. As my knowledge grows, I've begun to search out fellow craft beer enthusiasts, of course there are plenty of them out there, but there doesn't seem to be a strong community of female beer drinkers. So now that half of the Beer Drinker's Guide to Colorado is women, Carol and I have decided we will create a community for female beer drinkers.
So this will become a spot for women, and men who love women, who already love and appreciate beer, or those that are looking to learn to do so. A place for women to feel comfortable asking questions and expressing their opinions. A place to share experiences and stories. So ladies, get ready to drink some beer!
Carol
Women in beer â€" Sounds like something you'd see in a Coors Lite ad doesn't it? Maybe bikini-clad beauties swimming through a sea of bubbles in a giant mug!
That is the type of imagery we're used to seeing, put on the airwaves by the giant mega-brewing industry. Is it any wonder why many women have never seen beer as their drink?
I am a woman, and I have always loved beer, thanks to my father. I can still remember my first taste of an ice-cold beer on a hot summer day. I drank beer through college, (whatever was in the keg) and as an adult have always enjoyed a good beer. I began to educate myself about beer, and experiment with different styles. Now working in the beer industry, I have become a huge advocate of craft beer.
We at The Beer Drinker's Guide To Colorado believe that, in this beautiful world of craft brewing, women should be fully engaged, that is, pull up your stool to the veritable bar of bliss, and start sipping your way to satisfaction.
We don't claim to be experts. However, we would like to let women know what is out there in the craft beer world, from groups designed to educate women about craft beer, like Ales For Females up at Left Hand Brewing in Longmont, to finding out what women are doing in the brewing industry, to just looking at the craft beer movement from a woman's perspective.
Please join our Sisterhood of Suds, as Zenia and I try to navigate our way through the sea of information out there, and discover new ways to enjoy our favorite beverage. Watch this spot for upcoming news.
