In 2017, Kelly Lohrmeyer of Yakima Chief Hops came up with the idea to use hops to help make an impact for women and non-binary individuals in the alcoholic beverage industry. Women currently make up only 23% of all brewery owners and only 2% of breweries are fully women-owned (Brewers Association, 2021). Kelly founded The Pink Boots Society, a nonprofit that strives to advance the careers of women and non-binary individuals in the alcoholic beverage industry through education.
March 8th marked the 7th annual Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day (CBD), an annual event that highlights the impact women and non-binary individuals have on the industry. Blackbird Brewery was proud to host the RDU Chapter’s Pink Boots Society’s Women’s Day. This year’s brew crew included representatives from Bombshell Beer Company, Raleigh Brewing Company, Mason Jar Lager Co., Durty Bull Brewing Company, The Burnt Barrel, Beer Tooth Taproom, Atlantic Brew Supply, Red Moose Brewing Co., and Tap Station.
“As a woman-owned brewery we were honored to have this opportunity to host these amazing women. It was a privilege to be able to provide a space to encourage and uplift our fellow ladies in the typically male-dominated landscape that the brew industry is. We look forward to more collaborations this year.” – Harmony
Blood, Sweat, and Swears, the result of this fantastic collab, is a Cold IPA fermented at lower temperatures with 3470 lager yeast from Fermentis, a base of California Calrose sushi grade rice, 6 Row, and Briess Brewer’s Malt and the 2023 Pink Boots Hop Blend from Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) (varietals include HBC 638, El Dorado, Ahtanum, and Idaho 7), plus Strata hops and Simcoe hops. The sensory team at YCH expects the hop blend to accentuate berry and citrus punctuated with peppery earthiness and floral notes. Tiffany Pitra, Senior Sensory Manager at YCH said, “We are anticipating strong berry, orange, and stone fruit notes accompanied by herbal undertones…We’re all excited to see this complex blend expressed across a wide range of styles.”
The entire brew crew will donate a portion of the proceeds from sales of the Blood, Sweat and Swears IPA to The Pink Boots Society. Monies raised will be used to fund scholarships that support the Pink Boots mission to assist, inspire and encourage the professional development and education of women and non-binary individuals in the brewing industry. Come in and enjoy a pint of Blood, Sweat and Swears IPA, created by our local RDU Chapter Pink Boots Society ladies while supporting Women in Brewing coming to participating breweries in the next few weeks!
