Launching on Wednesday the 27th of April at Nauticus in Leith, the beer has been brewed by the group on the 8th of March for International Women Collaboration Brew Day (IWCBD), a worldwide celebration created by Sophie de Ronde in 2013.
A Kölsch beer brewed in collaboration with Newbarns Brewery
The group teamed up with the Leith based Newbarns Brewery, to brew a 5% Kölsch, with Bere barley and Scotch Annat. The beer has been lagered for 6 weeks and is a crisp and delicate example of a style originating from Cologne, Germany.
Amélie Tassin, founder or Beers Without Beards said:
“Brewing in collaboration with breweries is something we try to do regularly as it’s a great way to raise awareness about the lack of women representation in the beer industry and to show to everyone that despite the stereotypes, women can also be brewers.”
For this beer, women have been involved at different stages of the brewing process, with the hops coming from Stocks Farm in Herefordshire, where Felicity Beaumont manages the Hop range. The malt comes from Crafty Maltsters in Fife where Alison Milne works alongside her partner in growing and malting their own barley. Finally, Holly Lewis from Newbarns prepared a house yeast using wort from her previous brew.
Emma Mcintosh, co-founder of Newbarns Brewery said:
“I wanted to brew a beer that involved women throughout the process, not just for the brew itself, and show that women are full-fledged actors of the industry.”
Architects of Society
Inspired by Harriet Beecher Stowe’s quote “Women are the real architects of society” the beer name has been chosen by the members of the Beers Without Beards group while the design of the label was inspired by the posters from the Suffragette movement.
Amélie Tassin, founder or Beers Without Beards added:
“After a very difficult year following a wave of accusations of sexism and sexual harassment in the beer industry, it was important for the group to reaffirm our support and engagement for more equality and inclusivity in the industry.”
As mentioned on the label, this beer has been brewed in solidarity with women’s struggles around the world.
Launch event
The beer will be officially launched on the 27th of April at the Nauticus bar in Leith during an event organised by the “Women Who Beer” group but open to everyone, bearded or not!
Details on the event and RSVP https://www.facebook.com/events/1394380787676377
Where? Nauticus Bar, 142 Duke Street, Edinburgh EH6 8HR
The beer will be available on Newbarns web shop from Thursday 28th of April https://newbarnsbrewery.com and in a selection of bar and bottle shop across the UK.
About Beers Without Beards:
The “Beers Without Beards” group is a group of women who like beer and enjoy drinking and learning about it.
It’s not about excluding men but creating a “safe space” for women to experiment and learn about craft beer.
Through the group our members can discover pubs or taprooms, learn about craft beer and meet some inspiring women from the brewing industry.
In reality, we don’t have anything against beards! Although this is a woman only group, there are plenty of our events that are opened to everyone (including those with beards!).
Website: www.beerswobeards.com
Twitter/IG: @BeersWoBeards
How to join the group:
Beers Without Beards on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/311624616205163/
About Newbarns Brewery:
Founded in 2020 by Emma McIntosh, Gordon McKenzie, Jonny Hamilton, and Fredrick Bjerkseth, the brewery has been successfully brewing a range of delicious craft beers created to be easily approachable but interesting enough if you want something different from the norm.
In an effort of more sustainability, the brewery has been doing some exploration into using heritage grains and sourcing hops closer to home.
Press release from Beers without Beards
Contact: beerswobeards@gmail.com