The Historic Role of Women in Brewing
06/10/2024
By John Montet
Humans have been brewing alcoholic beverages for well over 9,000 years. For nearly all that time, women have dominated the practice.
Ancient Times
Beer dates back to at least 3,800 years ago. It was first mentioned in The Hymn to Ninkasi, a poem to the goddess responsible for Sumerian beer. Being that it wasn't so much an ode as a recipe, it demonstrates how beer was seen as a feminine field. Indeed, in ancient Sumer, only women could own taverns, having been given complete jurisdiction over brewing. Likewise, Babylonian women were in charge of brewing, as outlined by the Code of Hammurabi.
The Egyptians, a culture that prized beer, long held to the belief that the goddess Menqet – the ruler over the Place of Reeds – was responsible for good brewing.
The Incas used a heavily corned beer, known as chicha, as a form of government currency. Only the Incan women were allowed to brew beer. Chicha is still made by Peruvian women today, though it is best not to ask how the fermentation is activated.
Medieval and Renaissance Periods
Women in European cultures held dominion over the beer and brewing well into the Medieval period. At the time, the brewing talents of women were not only commonplace, but were highly prized.
From the late Middle Ages well into the seventeenth and eighteen centuries, women who brewed beer were labeled "brewsters". The few men who brewed during that era were called "brewers".
Various laws fixed the prices of brewing at several points in English history, with both Henry II and Henry V passed such laws. The European governments saw the need for stability in the brewing and sale of alcohol and bread. This helped ensure that taxes on wheat could be more easily levied.
For those brewsters who sold beer, the punishment for short-selling, or even brewing bad beer, could be severe. Violators were subjected to ever-increasing punishments, including fines, dunking, flogging, or being paraded in a tumbrel cart.
Holland limited the amount of beer men could brew. Likewise, several notable women went on to own several breweries, establishing larger enterprises. One known example, Anna Janssens of Antwerp, Belgium, owned at least two breweries in the 16th century, although she most likely owned four or more.
It was in the late 1500's into the 1600's that we start to see a shift in the attitude toward women as brewers. The term "ale-wife" comes into fashion. Though not in itself an inherently disrespectful term, it increasingly grew to be a derogatory slight.
Into the Modern Era
As brewing became more of an industry, women were pushed out due to politics, religion, outright misogyny, and especially economics. Once technological advancements allowed for the rise of a brewing industry, women had neither the money, land, time, nor influence to brew on a large scale.
This type of collective misogyny washed quickly through the industry. Books and papers on brewing processes claimed that women lacked neither the scientific knowledge nor intelligence to brew properly. This is a strong sentiment from those who actively kept women from higher education.
Things have only marginally improved since the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Despite some progress, the brewing industry has remained dominated by men.
For example, 2022 Brewers Association numbers show that in the trinity states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa, there are 608 craft breweries. Of those, women and non-binary owned breweries number just 7 in Wisconsin, 6 in Iowa, and 2 breweries in Minnesota.
These numbers can be a bit misleading. When couples are considered - that is breweries owned by married couples, or co-owners that include a woman or non-binary person, the number of women-owned breweries shifts to 48% of all breweries in those three states. This is also the case nation-wide.
Regardless, women continue to be underrepresented as brewing entrepreneurs.
While inroads are being made, there are organizations like the Pink Boots Society that seek to help women and non-binary brewers get a foothold in the industry.
Progress can also be seen in brewing organizations. Women are well represented in the American Homebrewers Association. These include senior vice presidents Nancy Johnson and Stephanie Johnson Martin, as well as AHA's executive director, Julia Herz. Similarly, Sandy Cockerham serves as the president of the Beer Judge Certification Program.
Acknowledging the true history of our craft, and the influence of the women who came before us, makes us all better brewers. It makes us better people.
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