This is a heavily delayed post given we are now about a week removed from International Women's Day and International Women's Collaboration Brew Day (which was on the 8th of March), but it's been a long week between the daytime job, the hobby "job" and spending time with my husband meaning today is my first real bit of downtime to stop and reflect on the day and what it means to me to be a woman within the beer community (strictly in the sense of being a consumer - despite what you've heard I do NOT actually work for Siren...unless they want to contact me, then they know how to get me on the social LOL).
To start, I just want to say that I had a stellar IWD. This is the first beer-related IWD that I've gotten involved in as I didn't know about all the female-centric beer groups that were out there or the annual collaboration brew day that was taking place prior to this past year. It was filled with so much fun, laughter, and inspiration from all the amazing badass beer bosses that have entered my life and all the role models I look up to who have and are still paving the way. Needless to say, I will be continuing to get involved in as much capacity as possible moving forward.
In the weeks before, I was fortunate enough to participate in a virtual collaboration for the Women's Pint Club group I'm a part of on Facebook (photos above from past zoom chats), run by my rockstar podcast co-host, Joanne Love (who also owns and runs both her Love Beer Learning beer school and her Beer Tent Society - of which I am a member). While it was unfortunate that we couldn't all get together to physically work on it, Joanne brilliantly took charge to ensure everybody who wanted to participate got to voice their opinion remotely on the style, flavour, and name before allowing us to be involved virtually via a live streaming of her brew day on the Sunday prior to IWD. We ended up with a jam donut stout that I cannot wait for us to all get together and pop bottles with in person!
Despite not taking the day off for IWD/IWCBD this year like others have, I did make sure to play the live streams in the background while working so I could listen to all the inspiring messages of "compassion" (this year's theme) and female empowerment. I also made sure to watch Joanne's interview with Sophie De Ronde (from Burnt Mill Brewery, who is also the founder of IWCBD) as well as Joanne's insta live chat with Kimberly - Craft Beer Pinup. There were some amazing interviews all around with replays have been loaded onto IGTV - check out the IWCBD insta to watch them back as well as getting lost in the rabbit hole of all the amazing contributors. Joanne also provided a well worded IGTV roundup of IWD where she names even more links to check out if you're interested (you can give it a watch here). While I'm trying to name and link as many as possible, I could be sitting here for ages spewing name after name of all these female-identifying beer queens and you'll see me tag and interact with enough on my insta that you can do your own research... I can say I ended my Monday with a live insta stream lead by an absolute powerhouse of a brewer - Jaega Wise - of Wild Card Brewery who was accompanied by Sophie De Ronde , Julie from Neptune Brewery (who also started up the Ladies That Beer group), and Jane Payton (from School of Booze) all while chatting on the side via discord with some of the WPC ladies (complete with an after party where I drank and laughed more than I do on a typical Monday night).
Before moving on to the final (and arguably most important) bit, I also just want to give a quick bit of (shameless) self promotion for our IWD special edition of A Women's Brew Podcast. Joanne and I start by giving our tasting notes on Mothership's American Pale Ale and finish with a lengthy but honest discussion with some of the lovely female-identifying ladies from Women's Pint Club around what it's like to be a woman into craft beer and the pros and cons that come along with it. We wanted to release an episode where we, as women, get to have an open dialogue about our personal experiences and the feelings that stemmed from them. I want to make sure it's clear that there was never any intention for tarring a whole group of people with the same brush and I don't think it came off that way, but just wanted to make it clear that everything we were speaking about was solely in the context of our personal experiences and any generalisations were just due to the natural flow of that type of conversation. I know it's unlikely to be taken in a negative context, but I wanted to make sure to emphasise that there was no intention of suggesting that all men were the "enemy" as well as add that we also have a lot of great male-identifying allies who are also looking to ensure everybody has a fair seat at the table (or that we just bring out another bigger fucking table with plenty of space for everybody regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.). Part of the reason it felt necessary to give those disclaimers was partially because of the experiences I've had as a woman in general where I've seen people tack the label of "feminism" alongside this idea of militant man-hating under the guise of feminism - which can then, unfortunately, be used by some as a means to dismiss some truly genuine, raw, and honest conversations which often lead to positive outcomes for everybody. These thoughts are 100% my own and not something I'm attempting to project on any other member of the podcast recording, but understand that this is why I felt the need to be pre-apologetic for what may seem largely like a non-issue to most...
[Before I continue, I just want to highlight one final time that the negativity I've encountered that follows in the below comes from a very small population of people (not even exclusively men). This conditioning to be pre-apologetic stems from the desire to not want to be misconstrued or somehow cancel out all the positive interactions that heavily outweigh the negatives for me, personally, or have it be projected onto the people in my immediate circle. In my first draft of writing this, I noticed that I had made sure to apologise a significant amount and reaffirm that I know it's "not all men" or even the majority. Hell, I've left in a LOT of the apologising as it is, but you know what? Fuck it. I've removed this repetition from this point onward because at the end of the day, this piece is about highlighting my experiences that apply specifically to being a woman as opposed to my experiences overall and I didn't want to sound like an apologetic broken record.]
...Which leads me to my final point of this post - my personal views on what it's been like to be a female-identifying member of the craft beer community at large. It's such a big suitcase to start unpacking, but (not so thankfully) we are currently unable to travel, so let me start to do this as best as I can... For the record, I will just state that I am approaching this as a straight, white female who has had far more fortune and opportunities in life than others because of this, and to further qualify with saying I've only been a part of the craft beer community in this current form for the last year (since the start of the pandemic). By "this current form", I mean the Facebook forums and the direct interactions with the brewery owners and employees themselves. This approach demands less anonymity behind posts and arguably more care and consideration put into the words you say and the impact said words may have - unlike what I previously found in my experience on Reddit (which I think will be a surprise to nobody familiar with Reddit).
My experiences on Reddit and more anonymous forms of social media has always been that it's assumed I am male...While how I identify shouldn't (and doesn't to most) matter, I do feel that this, right from the start, shows the unconscious bias surrounding women in the craft beer hobby; where it's assumed automatically - until confirmed otherwise - that you are male-identifying. This isn't behaviour just limited to one type of person and I know this has been something I've been guilty of doing every so often myself....But I found, even when I first joined the Facebook groups, it was assumed by a lot of people (exclusively men, as far as my experience goes) that I was a male, as my profile had both my husband and myself set as the photo. It was just assumed that the person typing using my name and picture must've been my husband, the male in the photo.
It eventually became clear to that confused minority that the person behind the profile was, indeed, me (a woman). I noticed that over time an even smaller percentage of those previously unaware individuals started to treat me differently. These new reactions ranged from me noticing that my opinions were being challenged slightly more than previous or in comparison to male counterparts all the way up to being praised more heavily than usual (or deserved) for the feedback I'd given. I noticed similar behaviours when reading posts from female contributors on these forums where it appeared that the female contributors would get more pushback around their observations of a beer or comments about a topic than males, and asked less about their thoughts in particular. For example, I noticed once that a female-identifying member of a page posted their review of a beer and a male commenter responded with their separate feedback. A third person (male) asked for further opinions such as "what did you think about the quality of xyz (of said beer)" in response to the male commenter as opposed to directing anything back to the OP directly (when at the time it was only a handful of responses, most of which were women. While this is all circumstantial evidence based on my personal observations, I know based on conversations I've had with other females within the scene that they are not isolated incidences to which only I have witnessed. This is just one element of what it looks like to be a woman in a historically male-dominated hobby.
While it can sometimes suck to feel that your opinion isn't taken as seriously or as cared for by a fraction of the community, it can feel equally as crappy and patronising to be lauded solely due to the desire of wanting to show your support. While it comes from a good place, the drawback is that it also adds to the feeling that I'm not being taken seriously on the opposite end of the spectrum as I'm still not being praised for the right reason. I want to take a second to acknowledge that I know this can be a really fine line that can seem confusing; that I'm telling you not to dismiss me too much but equally, also, don't praise me. What are you supposed to do? Just because you aren't responding to me and my opinion that doesn't mean you're doing so because I'm a woman. Just because you agree with me also does not mean you are doing so because I'm a woman. I know. I hear you. I understand. It's a difficult topic and I just want to assure people that - for me- I can (almost always) tell when it's genuine. As a woman, you learn to develop this kind of sixth sense that helps you identify when a person is ignoring you or singing your praises because of your gender vs opinion and sometime it can be a very thin line to tread but also something that I think we have all at one point or another, regardless of the topic at hand, chosen to ignore or dismiss because it either wasn't worth the effort or we didn't want to look like "that girl" who's causing a fuss and can't "just take the compliment/criticism".
Sitting down now, I can honestly say it's incredibly difficult to compose all my feelings into a post. One: because there's too much I want to say while also not overloading the reader (or my emotions on what is a cold and dull Sunday) and Two: because I can't escape that feeling of worry that it won't land the way I want, so I'd rather leave you with too little than with the wrong idea that could then potentially be used as ammo against other women... It shouldn't be like that, but it is. So what I will do is try to summarise my feelings in short brief statements... I feel annoyed when visiting a brewery or beer-related destination only to have it assumed when somebody sees the photos posted that it was my husband who dragged me along and not the other way around. My eyes nearly roll out of my skull when I'm out with my husband and our (mostly) male friends when there's a non-beer beverage being served and it's handed to me without hesitation (I'm exaggerating as really I just laugh and swap for the right one, but in certain situations it can be tiring). I'm frustrated when I ask for a pint of something and am met with a request for confirmation that I am sure I want that and not a smaller serving... Like I wouldn't have shown hesitation or asked for more information or even a taster if I thought I might not want a full pint. I want to scream when people dismiss a female-identifying or female-presenting person's negative experience within the beer world as just overreacting, being too emotional, misreading the situation, or being unable to handle banter. As if we're not capable of bantering back, making lewd or straight up stupid jokes, or agreeing to disagree with people around us. It's more likely that we just don't have the rapport with you required for a particular joke or it landed in a tone deaf manner. That's not to say that the scenario suggested never happens (anybody can overreact or misread tone when on the internet), but the fact that this is often the first port of call and an easy dismissal is not okay. Would you share the same type of banter and jokes with your best friend as you would your boss or a colleague you don't speak to very often? Of course not. I'm tired of being told politics have no place alongside beer - which typically seems to be thrown out by somebody whose life isn't being touched by the political issue being referenced (E.G. the Black is Beautiful beers, the All Together range of beers, hell even the "Bloody Good" Brewdog beer). I hate the way a woman's appearance and the direct correlation to their perceived sexuality can be used to diminish their knowledge or give explanation for why they may be where they are (whether it's why they're getting a particular job, a case of free beer, or an interview with a sought after "guest" for an insta live/podcast/youtube). Or - even worse - that we're only into what we're suggesting we're into to get male attention. While there may be a minority this applies to, I think the knock-on impact it has to the majority who are not is damaging beyond what people assume (and if there is a minority who it applies to, maybe it's worth stopping to think how it actually impacts you regardless). And finally....I'm upset by some of the catty and exclusionary attitudes across all the beer-focused social media groups. No group is exempt from having these gate-keepers and trolls as this is just the nature of what it's like to live in a digital age. This goes beyond the female experience, but is made worse when you see women treating other women so poorly and with such little regard, as if we already did not have to overcome enough hurdles as is. And for what benefit? There's room for everybody regardless of where you are in your craft journey and how much knowledge you possess. If you're passionate and open to dialogue, there should be a spot for you. Full stop.
Not to end on too big of a bummer, I thought I'd share just a fraction of what I also really love about this community... I love that for every one person who will tear you down or cause a drama, there is another 5 individuals who will build you back up and let you know you and your opinions are valid. It's been amazing to find numerous female-focused pockets within the community as well that allows us to come together, speak openly and honestly about our shared experiences, play devil's advocate in a non-combative format, and fix each other's crowns when they start to slip. I cherish the fact that I have crossed paths with so many wonderful, compassionate individuals whom I cannot wait to meet up and share a drink with as soon as safely allowed. They've helped me silence my imposter syndrome (for the most part) and been building blocks for me to continually grow on my craft beer journey (do we ever really finish?). Finally, I am thankful for all the non-female identifying allies within the community whose majority will shut down the minority as/when a negative comment or discussion arises.
Ladies - Continue to be strong. Be defiant. Demand your seat at the table. Show and know your worth. Make noise when needed. Don't Sit down and don't shut up (thank you Frank Turner). You are all beautiful and - above all - total badasses! And I hope to see at least some of you next year for IWD 2022 (where I can finally rock my beer and shoe pairings in person) if not sooner.
One thing I can say is that through the craft beer community, I've really found my tribe. That tribe has no specific gender. It has no specific race. It has no specific sexuality. It's not limited to just those working inside the beverage industry or those with formal qualifications stating they are suitable to tell you anything and everything they can about beer. The only criteria of this tribe is that it just has good beer (while craft is certainly the majority, I can't even say it's limited to only craft) and good people, because beer is for everybody.
If you made it this far, thank you for joining me for my TEDTalk (I will get off my rambling, preachy soap box now).
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