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3rd March 2025

IWD Beer Launch of Pirate Queen

Join us for our launch of this years International Women’s Day Collaboration Beer. PIRATE QUEEN.

Saturday 8 March, 7pm til late at The Baum, Rochdale, OL12 0NU.

A percentage of sales goes towards our Charity Partner, Women of Whitworth. So come along and drink us dry, help support lots of amazing local causes…

Let us know you’re coming

We spent Valentine’s Day brewing our second International Women’s Day beer with a group of women from the community. Our first meeting was online in January to discuss beer style, beer name and associated folktale. During brew day, our very own Pirate Queen’s were not only busy with all the hard work which goes into brewing beer, but also learnt about the brewing industry, hops, ingredients, processes, our folkale and passion for beer.

  • Beer: Hazy Pale, 4%
  • Folktale: Grace O’Malley (Pirate Queen of County Mayo). Grace was a strong independent woman, a formidable force for her time, and a great role model for women.

Ruth of Bríd’s Cross Brewing said, “We’re delighted to be supporting our local charity who are doing such amazing work for women’s charities. It was really lovely to host 7 local women for our second IWD brew day. From planning meetings to brew day, their interest and enthusiasm never waned, getting stuck in with all hands on deck to learning about the processes, it was an honour and a joy. Teaming up with IWCBD who generously offered our participants a chance to gain Level 1 in Beer is inspiring for the next wave of female brewers.”

Kimberley Ashworth of The WoW Project added, “Thank you so much to Bríd’s Cross Brewing for the opportunity to collaborate on ‘Pirate Queen’. It was fantastic to meet so many inspiring females, and we thoroughly enjoyed the day. We are so grateful to Sean and Ruth for this opportunity, and we can’t wait to see the beer at The Baum, Rochdale, The Red Lion Inn, Whitworth, and so many other pubs. Over the last 7 years, we’ve worked on so many fundraising and collaborative projects, but WoW, this will be a memorable experience we’ll never forget.”

Sue, who took part in Brew Day, wrote a lovely poem about her experience. You can read the poem here.

Charity Partner

Our Charity Partner this year is Women of Whitworth. A local to us charity doing amazing work.

Collaboration

Women on Tap offered participants the opportunity to study WSET Level 1 in Beer Award.

2026

If you would like to take part in our IWCBD-26 and/or be our Charity Partner please get in touch.

Did you know

George RR Martin based his Game of Thrones character, Yara Greyjoy, on Grace O’Malley. We can certainly see the similarities.

Notes to Editors

About Bríd’s Cross Brewing: Bríd’s Cross Brewing is a micro brewery based in Rochdale producing modern ales inspired by folklore and mythology shared around the British Isles.

Permanent Lines: Bríd’s Cross Brewing currently have TWO permanent lines in the following venues: The Baum, 33-37 Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL12 0NU. The Red Lion, 6 Halifax Road, Littleborough, OL15 0HB.

2025 Beer Festivals: Where we’re pouringMore festivals to be confirmed.

2025 HomeBrew Competition: As part of our second birthday celebrations, we are hosting a HomeBrew competition.

Started: Autumn 2023.

Sean O’Reilly is originally from Suffolk and moved to Rochdale in 2022.


Contact:

Owner: Sean O’Reilly.
Email:
 sean@bridscross.co.uk
Phone: 07982 721 254
Website: www.bridscross.co.uk

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