In the latest episode of Brewing After Hours, it explores the history of women in brewing and debunking myths BUT what about modern day? The Brewers Association did a survey in 2019 and found that only about 7.5 percent of the staff of reporting breweries employed a female in the brewer role. Later in the episode, nonprofit organization Pink Boots Society is mentioned in regards to the amazing collab between Highland Park Brewery, Pink Boots Los Angeles and Yakima Chief Hops using the annual Pink Boots Hops Blend brewing a beer named Más Chingona which in Spanish means a badass woman who lives life by her own terms. And that’s exactly what the Pink Boots Society represents, a group of women challenging gender-norms and carving their own path in beer and beyond.
The Pink Boots Society is a nonprofit organization created to assist, inspire and encourage women in the fermented / alcoholic beverage industry to advance their careers through education. Founded in 2007, Pink Boots Society was inspired by Teri Fahrendorf while on a cross-country trip after leaving her position as head brewer at Steelhead in Eugene, Oregon. Teri wanted to learn about the differences in regional brewing so she grabbed her pink rubber boots, started connecting with female brewers during the journey and blogged about her experiences. After visiting 70 breweries and participating in 38 brews, she knew something had to be done to connect all these incredible women. Shortly after her trip, the Pink Boots Society was created.
The organization now has over 71 chapters and over 2,400 members worldwide and offers educational classes, mentorship opportunities, conferences, regional chapter meetups, job resources and a network of female professionals from brewers and packaging specialists to taproom managers and sales representatives.
For the fourth year in a row, Pink Boots Society has teamed up with Yakima Chief Hops to release a seasonal Pink Boots Hops Blend to bring awareness to the organization and women in the brewing industry. Starting in March, during Women’s History Month, breweries around the world create and release a special beer in honor of PBS while hosting brew days as a chance to work together and learn more about the brewing process. A percentage of the proceeds from each beer then goes back to the organization’s local chapter.
This year, Sarah and Ash (producer & editor for Brewing After Hours) homebrewed a Hibiscus Pale Ale using the Pink Boots Hop Blend, which you can watch below!
To see when these collaborations are happening and to get involved whether you’re looking to homebrew the Hops Blend (proceeds go to PBS), donate, share the collabs on social, check out PBS on Instagram @PinkBootsSociey, Facebook/PinkBootsSociety and PinkBootsSociety.org.
On Part 2 of the History of Women in Beer series, expect a chat with Pink Boots Society historian and author Tara Nurin. Stay tuned as that will be releasing in a few weeks!
Thanks again for reading and listening!