Women and Beer

Search for “Women and Beer” on the Internet and you’ll get all manner of Budweiser girls and beer haus mädchens. One might be fooled into thinking that women didn’t much like beer but as it turns out, BC’s Craft Brewing industry has several dedicated women owning and operating breweries, as well as many supporters. At the Vancouver Craft Beer Week’s Women and Beer event at The Refinery last week, beer lovers of both genders were out to sample brew from these hard-working women.

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  Aly Tomlin, Operation manager, R & B Brewing Co.

• Becky Julseth, Co-owner, Salt Spring Island Ales

• Leslie Fenn, Owner and Director, Howe Sound Brewing

• Pat Dyck, Co-Owner, Cannery Brewing

• Rebecca Kneen, Co-owner and assistant brewer Crannog Ales

The “mingling” beer was R&B Brewing Co’s Extra Special Bitter, a fragrant, floral beer just made on April 26th and fresh out of the keg. When everyone had had a chance to enjoy it, Lundy Dale, president of the Vancouver chapter of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) and Lauren Mote of the Refinery kicked off the evening with a warm welcome.

The beers that followed (paired with canapés from Chef Carter) ranged from Salt Spring Island Ales’ Heatherdale Ale which owner Becky Julseth describes as a “girlie” beer to Crannog Ales’ rich, dark Back Hand of God Stout.

Craft beer is small batch beer that’s brewed in traditional ways, without the additions of rice or corn. There was no shortage of beer around when I first started drinking, but it wasn’t until I did a home exchange in Munich that I came to realize the range of flavours and nuances evident even in different treatments of the same varieties. My first taste of a doppelbock dunkel made at a monastery (talk about small batch) is an experience that has stayed with me through years of beer sampling. Coming home to shelves of light, flavourless beer sparked an interest in searching out new and interesting beers, breweries and brewers, which has become easier over time thanks to the rise of showcase pubs like the Alibi room, festivals like VCBW and of course the Internet (Budweiser girls and all).

Considering the complexity and range of beers out there, it’s interested how under-represented women are on both the making and consuming sides, but a packed house at the Refinery (and several other VCBW) shows that’s changing too.

The Heatherdale Ale, made with heather (from Butchart Gardens!) instead of hops, is a traditional Scottish beer. It’s light and summery without losing any flavor and will definitely be on high rotation on my patio this summer. Already presented as the girly beer, it was easy for their hops-heavy amber Whale Tail Ale to step in as “manly”.

Up next, R&B’s Red Devil Pale Ale is an old favorite of mine and the English style red brew is sensory in the extreme.  Malty, hoppy and rich, it needs a food pairing that won’t back down and the naan bread topped with spicy eggplant curry did just the trick here.

Leslie Fenn of Howe Sound Brewing introduced their Three Beavers Imperial Red Ale as a tribute to the world’s largest rodent and a product of the Olympics. As Marketing Director and PR Coordinator, she likely had something to do with the image of 3 beavers sporting medals on the label, cleverly explained as representing the gold, silver and bronze North American Brewers Association medals that they’ve won. The beer itself was a stand out; strong, malty and flavourful, it’s made with many kinds of hops and was enjoyable both on its own and paired with a lamb and potato canapé.

Next was the new Squire Scotch Ale from Cannery Brewing and then we finished off the evening with chocolate truffles from Rachel Sawatzky of CocoaNymph and the aforementioned Back Hand of God Stout, and lots of hugging, because hey, we’re women.

~ Degan Beley