beer community – SoBeer Blog

I find myself writing this blog post during an incredible International Women’s Day weekend. Sat at Olaf’s Tun in Woolston where all the taps are showcasing IWD brews, or beers from breweries championed by inspirational women, I find myself wondering which beer I’d like to try next. But this year’s IWD celebrations have been quite different for me compared to other years.

Our Lost and Grounded IWD beer pouring at Olaf’s Tun

I’ve always been an advocate for women’s equality in the beer industry and have actively seeked out beers or events that represent this. Whether it be for International Women’s Day or initiatives such as Brave Noise, I’ve often tried to attend as many of the beer launches and celebrations as possible. This year, however, I’ve found myself actually involved in organising and executing a IWD beer.

My time at Lost and Grounded Brewers has given me some amazing opportunities but I’ve never been prouder than being involved in our first IWD beer. From the initial conception, discussing the recipe, brew day, brand design and finally organising our own IWD beer launch party, it’s been amazing to share this experience with my fellow female colleagues. When I took to Twitter (X) to share our launch event on Friday, I found myself pushing back a lump in my throat as the emotion on what we had achieved flooded over me. Similar to the feeling I felt that evening at our taproom event, watching the room buzzing with activity and great vibes.

The Lost and Grounded crew at our IWD Brew Day

This experience has been such an exciting collaborative project and one I hope we can grow in the years to come. There are so many incredible women within beer, all of whom I aspire to, and I still can’t quite believe that I get to play a part in this incredible movement. Hopefully we can inspire many more to continue reshaping the future of the beer industry in a positive, diverse and inclusive way.

Salut, ciao and aloha, words that say both Goodbye and Hello. It’s been a bit quiet here on my blog, but in the wake of the news that Beer O’Clock Show / Beerlonging has recorded it’s last episode, I began to reflect on the impact it has had on my own beer journey. Without the Beer O’Clock Show I may never have been introduced to my first Indy Man Beer Con, the festival that really opened my eyes to the world of beer and something that I’ve written about in a previous blog. I, like many others, would regularly tune in for all the latest beer news, interviews with amazing figures in the industry, and to listen to the hosts’ beery adventures.

A delicious pint at Tilt from the Beer O’Clock Show Summer Sesh Birmingham 2022

Being invited to talk on Beerlonging felt like an honour. Having been a listener for many years, I couldn’t believe that I was going to be a guest on the show, despite my imposter syndrome raising its ugly head. Nervously I chatted to Steve, Mark and Rob, well, perhaps more like babbled my way through the recording, before being asked if I would be continuing with my SoBeer Blog. At the time I replied that I would, but since then my site has remained dormant. At a time when the beer world has been hit hard with industry changes and brewery closures, it can be a challenge to find the positive light in the darkness. But then I remembered why I love beer and why I started my blog. I began writing as a way to share my thoughts and communicate with a new group of people as I navigated through this beery landscape.

The legacy of the Beer O’Clock Show / Beerlonging podcast is the community it has built around it, bringing a group of beer enthusiasts together, of whom I now consider great friends. My hope is that this community continues to grow, both online and in real life, and that we get to share a few beers together soon. As for me, I’ll use my writing as a cathartic outlet for my thoughts and to continue championing all the best bits of beer, as reminder of all the positive aspects of a scene that I love.

To Steve, Mark, Martin, Mark Johnson and Rob, thank you, but this isn’t a goodbye, but salut.

A group photo of some of the amazing people I’ve met through the podcast – at Thornbridge Peakender 2022.

Tag: beer community

Inspiring Inclusion

New Beginnings