Pink Boot Society e-News
September 2008 |
Greetings!
This issue of the Pink Boots Society (PBS) e-Newsletter contains a recap of our first meeting in San Diego and what we decided there. It also shares information about our next meeting, which will be held in Denver on October 11th during Great American Beer Festival (GABF) week. The potential goals for the organization are proposed below, and we hope to vote on them at the meeting.
The first PBS meeting was both fun and inspirational. We had several generations of women brewers attending. 16 members voted on the conditions for membership as six women beer writers and editors witnessed and documented this historic meeting.
Above is a photo of the 16 voting members present: L to R, Front to Back, beginning with Laura Ulrich in the pink cardigan:
Front Row: Laura Ulrich, Michelle Lowney, Erin Glass, Teri Fahrendorf, Barbara Gerovac, Denise Jones.
Back Row: Jessica Gilman, Tonya Cornett, Alyson Tomlin, Hayley Meagher, Jamie Martin, Carol Stoudt, Emily Thomas, Maribeth Raines, Alysha Heck, Laurie Wright Mathews.
Not pictured but present: Women beer writers and editors: Mirella Amato, Julie Bradford, Jill Redding, Julia Hertz, Sebbie Buhler, Jeannine Marois.
If I listed any of the above incorrectly, I apologize in advance.
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| San Diego Meeting Recap
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We came, we met, we voted. 22 women brewers, cellarwomen and beer writers came together for the first PBS meeting. Held on April 19 at the Gordon Biersch brewpub, the 16 members present voted on the terms for membership.
Laura Ulrich, brewer at Stone in nearby Escondido arranged the meal and the room, which was decked out with lovely pink floral centerpieces. PBS Founder Teri Fahrendorf lead the discussion, which centered around qualifications for membership. In essence we decided "who we are" as a group. Everyone got to speak, including the women journalists. In order to embrace as many beer industry women as possible, we voted to have two kinds of membership, voting and non-voting. Please see next section for details.
 In addition to defining ourselves as a group, there was a lot of good connecting over beers. At least one young woman brewer asked career advice from a more experienced woman about choice of university major to advance her brewing career. You go girl!
After the meeting broke up, several woman lingered over more beer and discussion. The small post-party was crashed by several of our male brewer fans, including our adopted mascot for the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC), Alton Huebner Jr., who covered his brown brewing boots with flourescent pink duct tape to show us his support. He later donated his bright boots to a young woman who is pursuing a career in brewing and needed a pair of pink wellies. See photo several sections below. |
| The Pink Boots Society: Who Are We?
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Voting members consist of all current and former women brewers, cellarwomen, and lab technicians that work(ed) for a brewery of any size, anywhere in the world.
Non-voting members include any other women who earn at least part of their living through beer. (Includes women packagers, brewery owners, brewery accountants, sales & marketing reps, suppliers to the industry, bartenders, beer writers, etc.) |
| Next Meeting: Saturday October 11
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Calling all members to attend our second meeting, which will take place during Great American Beer Festival week in Denver, Colorado.
WHEN: Saturday October 11, 2008
WHY: To meet other women beer professionals and vote on goals for the Society. Only voting members present at the meeting will be able to vote on organizational goals; however non-voting members can have their say. Please help shape and steer this organization toward your vision of our shared future.
COST: We have sponsorship, so the cost to each member will be $10 cash, and that includes the tip!
BRING: Your opinion and if possible, your beer! Bottles or cans only please. Sorry no draft beer. (Swag optional.)
WHO: All voting and non-voting PBS members are invited. (See above section for description of each membership category.)
RESPONSE: If you qualify as a member and want to receive an eVite to this meeting, please send your email address to Joanne Carilli-Stevenson at joanne@whitelabs.com. Meeting is two weeks away so don't delay! |
| Let's Vote: Structure and Organizational Goals
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1. Vote: Structure of the Organization
Do you prefer a President? How about a Queen, Diva, or Fearless Leader? To be assisted by a Vice-Queen or Vice-Diva? Perhaps a Board of Mavens instead of a Board of Directors? Let's keep it fun!
We will vote on officers (or mavens) at this meeting. Please be ready to nominate yourself or another member.
2. Vote: Committees
Two committees are necessary: A Meeting Committee and an Elections Committee. Please nominate yourself or someone else.
3. Vote: Organizational Goals
Eight organizational goals come to my mind. Do you agree with them?
a. Advance the cause of women in brewing.
b. Mentor new or younger women brewers.
c. Promote formal brewing education for women brewers.
d. Connect women brewers with each other.
e. Encourage brewing as a career choice for women.
f. Encourage women to become homebrewers.
g. Encourage women to become beer drinkers.
h. Encourage respect: Ensure that women and beer can be taken seriously together in association (vs. the annoying "Swedish Bikini Team" effect).
4. Vote: Recognize our Leaders and Heroines
I propose an annual "Pink Boots Award" for the woman who has done the most to advance the organization's goals during the previous year. We could ask the Brewers Association for permission to announce the award during the first part of the GABF Awards Ceremony. Members would nominate and vote on candidates via email prior to future GABF meetings.
Please help shape and steer this organization toward your vision of our shared future. | |
| Pink Boots Society in the News - Online
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Lots more articles offline, but of course no links!
Jamie Martin, Anton Huebner Jr., and Teri Fahrendorf wear their pink boots at the Craft Brewers Conference in support of the Society on Saturday April 19th, Pink Boot Day. |
| Women Beer Judges Needed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Chris Swersey, Competition Manager for both the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup told me "... one of my specific goals has been to increase the number of qualified women on the active judge panel list." Chris requests that PBS voting-members only apply. Here are the requirements:
● Formal sensory training (Seibel, Guild, Doemens, any other, BJCP included).
● Sensory experience (currently serve on taste panels in house or otherwise, and/or serve as judges in competitions, and/or do beer dinners in which you talk about beer flavors and where they come from).
● Good English skills both written and verbal (for overseas members).
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| Women's Brewfest
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This is advance notice of Rubicon Brewing Company's 3rd annual Women's Brewfest, which will be held in April 2009.
Women throughout the brewing industry are invited to attend and participate. The event will be held on a sunny day in April with the women's beers poured between the hours of 8:30am till 11:30pm at the Rubicon Brewing Company in Sacramento, California. There will also be a meet and greet for all the women one morning with coffee and pastries provided.
A raffle will be held on the day of the celebration with all proceeds benefiting WEAVE (Women Escaping A Violent Environment), a Sacramento based charity for women and children. A WEAVE representative will be present to collect donations for their safehouse between 1-3pm, please check their website for the most current "in need of" list.
Darcy Quinn and Brenda Studabaker, both employees of the Rubicon, are organizing this event with the help of Rubicon owner, Glynn Phillips. If you and your beers would like to participate in this event in April, please contact Brenda or Darcy. P.S. The beers will not be judged, just appreciated
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Education: Opportunity Knocking
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Free University Courses OnlineEver hear of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)? Big expensive technical university out east? Well, they generously offer "MIT Open Courseware," which includes free lecture notes, exams, and videos from MIT courses. Choose your poison: Chemistry, Math, Business, you name it, knock yourself out! Visit http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/courses/courses/index.htm to expand your knowledge base, and eventually your brewing career. | |
