Women (including me) Brewing Beer

I brewed my third batch of beer last week.

I realized that brewing was totally something I could do and since Matt is the primary gardener and tie-dye artist I figured it was a way I could lend him a hand over the busy summer months.

It seemed appropriate, too, given that I have read and heard more and more lately about the role of women brewers--both historically and to the present day. I've read a few articles about female brewers (here, here, and here, if you are interested in reading a few yourself).  While brewing is certainly a male-dominated industry/hobby today that dominance is a fairly recent cultural shift.  Beer brewing used to be just one of the many household and culinary tasks preformed by women.  So, I started brewing.  I like beer, period, plus I am pleased to join this long lineage of women making beer.

Of course, my first beer--a kolsch--was rather unpleasant.  Some bottles were passable.  Others would be so funky I didn't even want to drink it.  My second beer--a honey brown--was better.  Not as yummy as I'd like it to be, but a significant improvement over the preceding brew.  Fingers crossed on this third one--a tangerine pale ale.  The brewing process went really well and I am rather optimistic about the end result--though I am still a couple weeks out from sampling.

And, while I am on the topic of homemade boozy things--we recently polished off the last glass of 2015 apple wine.  Matt has seven gallons bubbling away for the 2016 batch.

Cheers!