A toast to the women in the beer community!
As the world gears up to commemorate International Women’s Day this Friday, it’s a fitting moment to raise our glasses to the women who have been making significant strides in our industry and the beer community at large. From ancient civilizations where women were the primary brewers to the modern craft beer revolution, women have played pivotal roles in shaping the culture, innovation, and business of brewing.
This year, breweries are celebrating in different ways around the province. There are women-led tap takeovers, ladies’ brew days, and plenty of new brews to sample. So grab your mothers, sisters, friends, and fellow beer lovers and get ready to celebrate the amazing women in beer this weekend.
Vancouver Island
New Beer Release • Longwood Brewery, Nanaimo
Island Hens Dry Hopped Session Ale will be pouring this Saturday, March 9. Brewed at Longwood Brewery in collaboration with Angry Hen Brewing of Kaslo, BC. Shirley Warne of Angry Hen Brewing and Harley Smith of Longwood Brewery have been friends for over 30 years and their brewing history goes back to their Toronto days. Shirley joined in virtually, and they also had a special guest, Robin Richards, head brewer at Dog Mountain Brewing, join them for the brew. The Island Hens Dry Hopped Session Ale will be available in cans and on draught and launched as part of Victoria Beer Week’s 10th Birthday Bash.
3rd Annual Pink Boots Brew Day • Dog Mountain Brewing, Port Alberni
Head Brewer and co-owner Robin Richards has sent out an open invite for anyone who would like to learn what goes on behind the scenes at a brewery to join her on Saturday, March 9th for a Pink Boots Collaboration brew day. They will be brewing a new IPA using ONLY the Pink Boots hop blend that they helped to curate earlier in the year. Each year, Yakima Chief Hops partners with the Pink Boots Society to create an exclusive Pink Boots hop blend which is used in collaboration brews around North America. This year’s blend features HBC 638, El Dorado®, Ahtanum®, and Idaho 7®, promising berry and citrus notes with peppery earthiness and floral undertones.
Vancouver, Coast & Mountains
Tap Takeover • Farm Country Brewing, Langley
This Friday, March 8, Farm Country Brewing is hosting their 4th annual International Women’s Day Tap Takeover. Each year, they challenge the women and non-binary folks at their fellow Langley breweries to create and brew their own beers. This year is the biggest event, with 9 featured brews plus a cider. Participating breweries and cidery are:
- Brookswood Brewing Co. – brew to be announced
- Camp Beer Co – Bahama Mamas Pineapple White IPA
The ladies of Camp came together to help develop and brew something special. Inspired by the iconic cocktail, this brew blends pineapple juice with a touch of coriander and chamomile. The brew’s light body is then balanced with the unique blend of Pink Boots 2023 hops as well as Bruu1. Cans will be available at the brewery and select liquor stores as well. - Dead Frog Brewery – Man! I Feel Like A Sour! – Raspberry Cheesequake Sour
Saddle up for a sweet and sassy ride and experience the fusion of fresh raspberries, creamy vanilla, decadent cheesecake, and tangy tartness! For the month of March this brew will be on Dead Frog’s Firefighter Tap and every pint sold in the tasting room will benefit the Pink Boots Society in collaboration with the Township of Langley Firefighters Charities. - Farm Country Brewing – Dua DIPA
A whopping 7.5% ABV Double IPA. The ladies at Farm Country created this beer with notes of peaches and apricots — using the HBF 1019 aka “fuzzy peach” hop with accents of floral and citrus. - Five Roads Brewing – Look What You Made Me Brew Lemon Meringue Sour IPA
This Taylor Swift-inspired brew will also be available in cans and on draught. - Fraser Valley Cider Company – Blueberry Tease Cider
This cider is bursting with farm-fresh blueberry and a tea-se of earl grey. This classic cocktail-inspired cider is a perfect balance of bittersweet apple and bursting berry freshness. - KPU Brew Lab – It’s a Peach Cream Ale
KPU Brewing students, instructors, and industry friends came together to brew ‘It’s a Peach!’ Cream Ale, using Pink Boots hops. This brew will also be for sale in growler fills on March 8 at the KPU Brew Lab. - Locality Brewing – Pint Boots Berry Ale
The recipe for this sparkling Berry Ale was designed by brewer Emily, who works alongside head brewer Karen. - Smugglers’ Trail Caskworks – Tomato Gose
- Trading Post Brewing – Yay, Space Hazy IPA
A double dry hopped IPA, bursting with flavours of pineapple, guava, lime, and white peach. Also available at Trading Post on tap and in cans.
Proceeds from the event will go to support the Pink Boots Society, as well as the Ishtar Women’s Resource Society in Langley.
Brew Day • Mountainview Brewing, Hope
Join co-owner Danielle and Head Brewer Sho on Friday, March 8 to help them brew up something special: Let Your Man Go, a tart mango IPA. The open house brew runs from 12 pm – 2 pm. All are welcome, so bring your friends, family, and fellow beer enthusiasts for an unforgettable celebration of women, beer, and community.
New Beer Release • Sidekick Brewing, Chilliwack
Join the release party on Friday, March 8 for The Brewmasters New World Saison. This brew is a collaboration from the creative forces of women at Sidekick and Molson Coors Fraser Valley, brewed with women from Farmhouse Brewing, Old Yale Brewing, and Flashback Brewing.
$1 from each glass and 4-pack sold of this beer will support the Pink Boots Society of Canada. Additionally, another $1 from each glass and 4-pack sold of this beer on Friday will support Wilmas Transition Society’s important work in Chilliwack.
New Beer Release • Steamworks Brew Pub, Vancouver
Launching Friday, March 8 is the Lavender Earl Grey Saison. Partial proceeds are going to benefit the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre. This beer will only be available on tap at the Water Street Brew Pub location.
New Beer Release • R&B Brewing, Vancouver
Wheat, Pray, Love, a dry-hopped wheat ale, will be released on March 14 at the brewery. Brewed by Justine Ellis, this classic wheat ale uses this year’s Pink Boots hop blend and will be available in cans and on tap.
Thompson Okanagan
New Beer Release • Lakesider Brewing, West Kelowna
The Pineapple IPA will be launching on Friday, March 8 in cans and on tap. Dry hopped, with additions of pineapple juice, and brewed using Kveik yeast, it’s sure to be a juicy delight.
Brew Day • Unleashed Brewing, Kelowna
On March 8, the women of Unleashed will be creating something new in collaboration with Gambrinus Malting, using their new IPA malt and this year’s Pink Boots hop blend.
New Beer Release • Jackknife Brewing, Kelowna
Jackknife becomes “Jillknife” Brewing for the annual release of Resting Witch Face is coming this Friday, March 8. Resting Witch Face is a double-dry hopped Nordic white IPA, and raises funds for MMIW (Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women) initiatives. Specifically, it helps to fund the efforts of Mukwa Bear as he helps families search for their missing loved ones.
Double Beer Release • Rustic Reel Brewing Co., Kelowna
Rustic Reel is releasing two special small-batch brews this Friday, March 8: a Sparkling Brut IPA and a Cucumber Lemon Ale. Women can enjoy $6 pints in the tasting room all day long, and $3 pretzels. Partial proceeds from these brews will be donated to the Kelowna Women’s Shelter.
Brew Day • Cannery Brewing, Penticton
This Friday, the ladies at Cannery are coming together to brew a West Coast pilsner using this year’s Pink Boots hop blend. This brew will be launching at Okanagan Fest of Ale on April 12, and will also be available in cans and on draft at the brewery.
