Ive been drinking craft beer since I was old enough to, proclaims Leah Heneghan, who credits her brother with helping her acquire a taste for BC microbrews. After a sojourn to England exposed her to an array of real ales, she returned to Vancouver four years ago and promptly went from admirer to advocate. Amongst her priorities is turning more women into craft beer converts.
A founding member of Vancouver Craft Beer Week, Heneghan has headed up the festivals annual Women and Beer celebration of the leading ladies of the craft brewing scene. This year, the May 24 event has been rechristened Sisters of the Tap, which alludes to the inclusive atmosphere that Heneghan is striving to achieve. As she explains, The event itself has kind of grown to encompass not only (celebrating) women in the beer industry but also trying to make beer a little more approachable for women who might not necessarily be comfortable with it.
Whereas major breweries have huge marketing budgets at their disposal to attract new drinkers, microbreweries must utilize more grassroots approaches to broadening peoples perspectives and palates. Just as VCBWs Cicerone vs. Sommelier event underlines that beer is every bit wines equal as a viable cultural drink, Sisters of the Tap showcases some of the variations on old themes that are being dreamt up by women brewers.
Women are supposed to have these fantastic palettes, which can lead to some really creative things, she suggests. The women from Salt Spring Island Ales, for instance, are bringing an Elderflower Ale with them. It will be fresh, it will be floral. Nobodys really had anything along those lines before. I think a lot of it has to do with the palette that women bring to the table as far as brewing is concerned.
Among the brewers flaunting their prowess will be Spinnakers Kala Hadfield, Big Rivers Claire Connolly, R&Bs Kim Marrington, and Crannog Ales Rebecca Kneen. Furthermore, several women owners will be on hand, each of whom plays a major role in determining their respective brewerys creative direction.
It seems like the number of women in the brewing industry is really growing, says Heneghan. Women are taking a lot of interest. And considering that it was women who were the original brewers of beer, its good to see people getting back to it and finding it interesting again.
Its not just a male-dominated industry anymore. And if events like this help grow that, then more power to them.
