Think about the last beer you drank. What did it taste like? Maybe you had Weathered Ground Brewery’s Thespian Espionage and you discovered notes of herbs and coconut. Do you remember what it smelled like? So now, let’s picture the person who brewed that beer. Do you know what they looked like? Were they tall or short? Brown hair?

More importantly, do you envision a man or a woman? Did you know that nine times out of ten when asked to describe a brewer folks automatically think of a big, burly man wearing a flannel shirt sporting a bushy beard? This is a cycle that Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company (GVBC) is working to change and they have gone out of their way to support women in the brewery industry. According to Morning Advertiser, about 77% of breweries are male-owned and about 90% of brewery staff are male.

Working in collaboration with Pink Boots Society, GVBC has recently released Ninkasi Saison, a woodsy and spicy Saison beer. GVBC purchased the hops from the society making it a Pink Boots Society Brew. What also makes it stand out is that it’s brewed solely by GVBC’s female employees, wives/partners of staff, and female guests. It was brewed this past February during Pink Boots Brew Day.  

Ninkasi Saison is a small batch beer and only available at Greenbrier Valley Brewing Co in limited supply.

Ninkasi Saison is a small batch beer and is only available at GVBC in limited supply. If you would like to try it while also supporting women in the beer industry, head over to the brewery’s Ninkasi Saison Release Party on Saturday, March 12th at 6pm.  There will be food and live music with Samantha Fox and the Hound Dogs (genre: performs pop-rock and original music).

Not only is Samantha performing, but she is one of the main women who brewed this beer! There will also be key speakers, most notably Jennifer Runyon, Vice President of The American Beer Co (located in Meadow Bluff). And the best part? GVBC will donate a part of the evening’s proceeds to the Pink Boots Society for education and programming.

BONUS: You can also purchase a beer glass in the shape of a boot!

For GVBC, this collaboration is just the beginning of a bigger movement. The March 12th event will be the kickoff to their Pathfinder Series, which is designated to signify those who are the first to create new ideas, knowledge, or activities both within the brewing industry and social movements throughout history and current events. 

Pink Boots Society’s mission is to “assist, inspire, and encourage the professional development and education of women in our industry.”

Pink Boots Society’s mission is to “assist, inspire, and encourage the professional development and education of women in our industry.” With the help of their partnership with Yakima Chief Hops, this society has been able to provide scholarships to young women and non/binary persons that have a desire to pursue a career in the beer industry. 

Get out, explore, and support your local female beer industry workers.

Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company is located at 862 Industrial Park Rd in Maxwelton near Greenbrier Valley Airport and Smooth Ambler Spirits. For more information, visit gvbc.beer or call Annie Snead at 304-667-0265.

To learn more about this collab, search: #collabbrewday #pinkbootsbrew #pinkbootssociety #pinkbootsblend #pinkboots2022 #yakimachiefhops #yakimachief #gvbcpathfinder #nikasisaison

– HashtagWV #140. March 2022.