March is National Women’s Month, and we’d like to give a huge shout-out to all of the women in the Brickyard Hollow family. We truly appreciate all that you do!
People have been drinking beer for nearly 7,000 years with women being the original brewers. Over time, women were pushed out of the industry and beer has grown to be a male-dominated field to this day. Of the nearly 10,000 breweries currently operating in the U.S., only 23 percent are owned by women alongside male colleagues, and only 2 percent of all breweries are fully women-owned.
This month, Brickyard Hollow is celebrating women in the brew space by teaming up with an amazing organization called Pink Boots Society; an organization that celebrates and supports women and non-binary individuals in the brewing and fermenting space. We’re making a collaboration brew on Pink Boots Brew Day to raise money for this great cause.
Who is the Pink Boots Society?
Founded in 2007, Pink Boots Society (PBS) is a non-profit group that supports women and non-binary people who work in the world of beer and highlights the work that they do in the industry. Their mission is to assist, inspire, and encourage women and non-binary individuals in the industry to advance their careers through education.
PBS offers mentorship, hosts networking opportunities with other women in the profession, and helps women advance both front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house careers by raising money for educational scholarships. There are currently over 4,000 members worldwide.
The History of Women in Brewing
Today, the brewing industry is male-dominated, but this wasn’t always the case! Historians have found that up until the 1500s, brewing beer was primarily women’s work. Tara Nurin, the official historian of the Pink Boots Society, has researched women’s role in the history of brewing from ancient times to Prohibition:
Ancient Origins
- Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest fermented beverage was found in China around 7000 BCE.
- Research shows that ancient brewers were most likely women. They brewed beer while men hunted, gathering ingredients and making household fermented beverages.
Sumerian Influence
- Sumerian women brewed low-alcohol beer for religious rituals and daily consumption.
- Babylonians inherited brewing practices from Sumerians and elevated the status of women, allowing them to own beer businesses and participate in commerce.
European Tradition
- European women continued the tradition of brewing, with Northern European mythology and folklore often attributing beer production to goddesses and women.
- Female brewsters produced ale for their families and sometimes sold surplus, although legal and societal constraints limited their economic and political power.
Challenges and Changes
- The discovery of hops in Germany led to the corporatization of brewing, excluding women from production and trade guilds.
- During the Renaissance and Age of Exploration, brewsters faced negative portrayals and were sometimes associated with witchcraft.
Transition to America
- In colonial America, married women brewed small batches of beer at home, while commercial breweries catered to urban consumers.
- Rural areas relied on homebrewing for over a century, with notable figures like Martha Jefferson continuing the tradition.
Even though women have been essential to the history of brewing from ancient civilizations to colonial America, they gradually lost their role in brewing as the industry commercialized. This is why representing women in the industry is so important today.
Pink Boots Brew Day 2024 At Brickyard Hollow
Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day is an annual event that honors women and non-binary individuals in the fermented/alcoholic beverage space and celebrates their significant contributions to the industry. Each year, registered teams brew beer and participate in Collaboration Brew Day, donating portions of the proceeds of their sales to help fund scholarships that support the Pink Boots mission to assist, inspire, and encourage the professional development and education of women and non-binary individuals in the industry.
This month, we’re hosting our Pink Boots Brew Day at our state-of-the-art brewing facility in New Gloucester. We’re celebrating our female-identifying staff and welcoming them to be a part of the brewing process. We’re brewing a new blonde ale recipe using Blue Ox Malthouse Malted Yankee Pils.
About The Collab Beer
- A little dry and a little sweet with biscuity readiness.
- Delicate malt profile with a light, grainy finish.
- Expect light berry and floral notes.
Be sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram for updates about when you can try this limited-edition beer! Stay tuned for our next blog where we take you behind the scenes of this brew day!