Nearly 30 women came together at Salford’s Strange Times Brewing Co to brew a beer which will pour at Port Street Beer House on International Women’s Day (8th March).
Manchester Crafty Beer Girls at the Boudica’s Chariot brew day at Strange Times Brewing Co
Members of Manchester Crafty Beer Girls, women from across the city’s hospitality sector, and others from further afield all joined hosts Strange Times in getting hands-on to brew a Hazy Orange Pale Ale and enjoy a day of learning, sharing and companionship.
Participants were up early to take part in the mashing in at the start of the brew, and learnt all about the water, malts, hops, and yeast that were to go into the beer. There was a lot of zesting, chopping, and juicing of fruits, with more than 25kg of fresh oranges also going into the brew.
Along with a beer-based Q&A, a tutored tasting of Strange Times’ beers, and a quiz with prizes, everyone was treated to hand-made pizzas provided by the Strange Times team. Some well-earned post-brew pints were enjoyed at the local Bee Orchid pub.
Manchester Crafty Beer Girls is a social group for beer-loving and beer-curious women. They have monthly meet-ups in independent pubs, venues, and taprooms across Greater Manchester.
It was founded in 2022 by Francesca ‘Chess’ Slattery after she moved to the city. As a beer sommelier, certified cicerone, and international beer judge, who has worked in the independent brewing industry for more than eight years, Chess says the aims of setting up the group are simple.
“We just want to encourage other women to enjoy beer and offer a welcoming space for those who are curious but don’t have any pals who share this interest,” she said. “Manchester has so many fantastic venues that champion great beer and we want to support that as much as we can.”
Informative and hands-on
This year’s was their first collaboration brewing project, organised with Strange Times’ head brewer Lauren Guy, and Sarah Hyde of Rambling Beer Co.
Lauren had already come to some of the group’s meet-ups and was excited to host the collaboration. “We wanted it to be as informative and hands-on as possible, but really it was all about enjoying the day and spending time together, creating something that we can all be proud of,” she said. “I was blown away by how many women came to join us and the curiosity and enthusiasm they showed.”
The beer has been named Boudica’s Chariot and is described as tasting refreshing and zesty, with some pleasing biscuity notes and juicy sweetness. Named in honour of the historic British heroine, who is a symbol of justice and, in-keeping with Strange Times’ love of mythology and legend, the chariot tarot card was an inspiration for its representation of willpower, determination, and strength.
The beer also features the British hop Boadicea (an alternative spelling of Boudica), which Lauren was keen to use as part of supporting the local hop growing industry. The design has been created especially by artist Mina Mond, who does all of Strange Times’ labels.
Sarah brought Corin Bell, of the Open Kitchen, into the project. It is Manchester’s leading sustainable catering company, utilising surplus ingredients to tackle food wastage. Itdonated much of the fruit that went into Boudica’s Chariot.
A global gathering
The day welcomed women from all walks of life. Claire Coster and Lorna-Jane Evans are keen homebrewers, with ambitions to open their own microbrewery one day. They read about the brew day in an online publication and travelled down from Cumbria especially to join.
Ana Morimoto, who lives full-time in Brazil, was visiting a Manchester-based friend and they couldn’t miss the opportunity to get involved. She said: “I felt very welcomed and inspired by the great women I met. It was the first time I had the opportunity to see the brewing process up close and get physically hands-on with it.
“I’ve never had such deep conversations about something that is normally taken as a ‘man’s subject’. I never saw anything like that in my country and I’ll definitely gather women to get our own Sao Paulo Crafty Beer Girls!”
Cath Potter is a cider expert and chair of Central Manchester CAMRA branch. She’s been attending the Manchester Crafty Beer Girls meet-ups from the beginning, but has never had a chance to do a brew day before. She said: “The Strange Times crew and everyone were so welcoming, and I learned loads! To see so many young women engaged in the brewing process was inspiring, and shows the future of the industry and in the consumption of quality beer.”
Devon McDevitt-Norman is deputy manager of Northern Quarter beer destination The Crown & Kettle. She’s already hosted a Crafty Beer Girls meet-up at the pub, and she and three female members of her team joined the brew. “I think it was a brilliant brew day, perfect for beginners, pros, and everyone in between. It was refreshing to see so many women come together to brew a tasty craft ale, especially in a typically male-dominated sector.”
Along with Lauren Soderburg and Fahmida Hussain at Port Street, Chess has organised a free entry International Women’s Day Beer Showcase that is open to all. Alongside Boudica’s Chariot will be other female-brewed beers pouring on the bar, from breweries including Neptune, Cloudwater, Squawk, Alphabet, and Track.
Chess and Sarah will also be delivering an interactive beer and food pairing, featuring the International Women’s Day beers, and pizza and ice cream from Nell’s Pizza.
Entry to Port Street Beer House is free for all. If you’d like to join in the beer and food pairing, tickets are £15 per person and include five beers, plus three pizzas and one ice cream beer pairing. The showcase is from 3pm and the pairing takes place from 7pm-8pm. Tickets are available directly from Port Street Beer House or on Eventbrite.
