Women Drink Beer Too
Carol White - November 3, 2010
Women beer drinkers have been ignored for a long time. We make up over half the population, and more and more of us are turning to beer - especially craft beer - as our drink of choice. Brewers are finally tuning in to this, and many women in the beer industry are leading the charge, seeking to educate and enlighten women about the joys of craft beer.
Women's beer tasting groups are popping up all over, and no wonder: what a great way to get together with friends and acquaintances and sample tasty beers, learn more about the art and science of brewing, and further your appreciation for this fine beverage. Sounds like fun, huh?
If you can't find a group in your area, you can start one yourself. That's what we did here at The Beer Drinker's Guide To Colorado, and The Sisterhood of the Suds was born. So ladies, lets get out there and drink some beer! We are so lucky here in Colorado, to have so much wonderful beer to choose from.
Please join us on one of our tasting adventures if you are in or around Colorado Springs. Check our events page for details, and our t-shirts too! If you're not in Colorado Springs, here is some information on other groups around the state. If your local brewery doesn't have a women's tasting group, see if you can start one there.
Ales 4 Females, Left Hand Brewing:
Probably one of the most well-known groups for Colorado women beer tasters, Ales 4 FemAles was started by Cinzia Wallace and Sue Smith-Troy of Left Hand Brewing Company in Longmont in January of 2008. Left Hand describes it as “a women-only club designed to reach out to women to educate them about all that craft beer has to offer.” The cost is $10 per meeting, and takes women through the basics of beer styles to the fun associated with beer & food pairings. Every meeting has tastings of beer and food, and has become so popular that they are now held twice a month at Left Hand Brewing. Says Wallace “ We want to help our fellow women understand the beauty of good beer.” Contact Ales 4 Females through the Left Hand website: http://www.lefthandbrewing.com.
Barley Pop Bettys, Ska Brewing:
Barley Pop Bettys is the brainchild of Holly Zabka, taproom manager at Ska Brewing Company in Durango. This group has just got going, with one meeting at the taproom at Ska, where they hosted a beer and cheese pairing. The group will be meeting once a month on Sundays, when the brewery is closed. Because of Thanksgiving, November's meeting will be the first Sunday in December. At this meeting, they'll be cooking up a batch of beer, showing how to homebrew. The cost is $10 per month. For more information, send Holly an email at holly@skabrewing.com.
Sisterhood of the Hop, Avery Brewing:
Avery Brewings' womens tasting group is called Sisterhood of the Hop. They meet every Sunday in the taproom. It's a combination social and educational group, sometimes featuring guest speakers, but usually pretty loosely organized. Just show up at the taproom on Sundays. Women get $1 off pints on Sundays also, so it's a great reason to go anyway. For more information, contact Caitlin in the taproom at (303) 440-4324.
There are national groups as well, out there blogging about craft beer, organizing events, and working to get the word out to women.
Pink Boots Society:
The Pink Boots Society is for women who are professionally involved in the beer industry in some way. They describe themselves as “the female movers and shakers in the beer industry. We get the beer brewed and fermented with the highest possible quality. We also own breweries, package the beer, design beers, serve beers, write about beer, and cover just about any aspect of beer, and we are all women. The mission of the Pink Boots Society is to inspire, encourage and empower women to become professionals and advance their careers in the Beer Industry, mainly through education. If you are working in the beer industry in any way, this is a great networking group to get involved in. Check them out at http://pinkbootssociety.org.
Ladies of Craft Beer:
A national group run by Stevie Caldarola “having conversations about a common thread, craft beer.” Ladies of Craft Beer has a great website, http://ladiesocb.com, that features food and craft beer pairing recipes, blogging about craft beer, about home brewing, craft beer events, etc. It's women trying to educate and involve other women in learning about craft beer.
Girl's Pint Out:
Girls' Pint Out is another group that has gone national. They started in Indianapolis, and encourage and support groups to start up around the country to get together and drink craft beer. Their website, http://www.girlspintout.com, has information on the where the different chapters are, events they are organizing, and more.
This is just a sampling of what's available out there in the beer drinking community. So ladies, get out there and participate, and have some fun!
