Strange Times Brewing Co host collaboration brew event with Crafty Beer Girls for International Women’s Day

The event, held at Strange Times Brewing Co’s Salford Brewery is hoping to introduce women and non-binary people to the art of making beer.

As well as giving participants a chance to learn about the brewing process on a commercial kit, there will be some tutored beer tasting, and an opportunity for like minded people to talk ‘all things beer’.

The participants will be making a special collaborative brew on the day, that will then be sold in several venues across Manchester to celebrate International Woman’s Day on 8th March.

The project has been inspired by the Unite International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day. This is a worldwide annual event that takes place on March 8th of every year in conjunction with International Women’s Day.

Lauren, who is head Brewer at Salford’s Strange Times Brewery said she was hoping to get more women into brewing.

Speaking to I Love Manchester, she said:

“Statistically, brewing is a male-dominated industry but women brewers exist and have always existed just as women drinkers exist and have always existed.

“I think the culture of beer drinking is changing for the better and the most important aspect of that is that places are available for everyone to feel safe and comfortable to enjoy beer.

“What I like about being part of the Manchester Crafty Beer Girls group is that it provides an inclusive space for women to meet up and drink together, to explore our local community of pubs and bars and try beers I’d maybe never try if I were out alone or in a different group.

“More people know of my beers now because I joined the group and I’m grateful to be in a position to host events and hopefully help promote other women led businesses within the industry.”

The event is hoping to encourage women to get into the industry.

Lauren continued: “Anyone can become a brewer if they want to.

“It’s something you can do from home, all the kit is easily available to buy on a small scale, there are excellent books and references available online to help you learn everything you could possibly want to know about brewing. If it’s something that interests you there’s no reason why anyone can’t do it.”

Francesca (Chess) Slattery is a Beer Sommelier, Certified Cicerone® and international beer judge who has worked in the independent brewing industry for over 8 years.

She founded the Manchester Crafty Beer Girls social group after moving to the city in 2021.

Speaking to I Love Manchester, she said:

“My first introduction to Crafty Beer Girls was when living in London. It was started by a couple of women who work in the industry as a way to network with other women who also love beer.

“There are these kind of groups up and down the country: Liverpool has a group called Ladies That Beer, Birmingham has Birmingham Beer Babs and Glasgow has Glasladies Beer Society, but there was a bit of a gap here so I spoke to the women behind the London-based original to see if I could start a Manchester Chapter and they were fully in support.

“The Crafty Beer Girls Facebook group has over 1,700 members so it made sense to tap into that existing community of female beer lovers rather than starting from scratch!”

After hosting a small gathering with Cloudwater Brewery on International Women’s Day last year, the group has grown and grown with new faces appearing at every monthly meet-up.

You can join the crafty beer girls facebook group by clicking here.

Francesca continued: “Crafty Beer Girls is simply a social group for beer-loving and beer-curious women to meet across Greater Manchester’s fantastic independent bars, venues and brewery taprooms.

“It’s about providing a way of making new friends with a bunch of people who also enjoy a beer in a safe and welcoming environment.

“We just want to encourage women to enjoy beer and offer a place for those who are curious but don’t have any pals who share this interest.”

“Honestly, whilst some beer-based chat is inevitable, beer is often the last thing we talk about on these nights out! It’s just a great social group.

“We’ve even had people from outside of Manchester joining us with women flying in from Dublin and visitors from London too.

“It’s free, easy and open, nothing exclusive. You don’t have to work in beer – you don’t even have to like beer!

“We’re welcoming and happy to answer any beer-related questions, so if you’re a woman keen to know more, just come along to a meet-up.”

Sarah Hyde, a Beer Sommelier who runs beer events in the North West under The Rambling Beer Co, has been collaborating with Lauren and Francesca on the project.

Francesca and Sarah will be hosting an International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day Beer Showcase and Beer and Pizza Pairing Event at Port Street Beer House on Wednesday 8th March, where this special Strange Times x Crafty Beer Girls beer will be pouring alongside other IWCBD brews.

For any women and non-binary folks looking to get involved in the brew day, you can DM Francesca or the brewery on Twitter and Instagram or contact them directly at manchestercraftybeergirls@gmail.com

The event will start at 8.45am until 4pm at Strange Times Brewery, 1-2, Foundry, Ordsall Ln, Salford M5 3LW.

Strange Times Brewing Co: Twitter @Str4ngeTimes / Instagram @str4ngetimes

Francesca: Twitter @FCSlattery / Instagram @gingeraleenthusiast

Twitter:@craftybeergirls / Instagram: @crafty_beer_girls

You can join the crafty beer girls facebook group by clicking here.

Rambling Beer Co:

Instagram @theramblingbeerco / Facebook The RamblingBeerCo