MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. — Building on the success of last year’s International Women’s Brew Day, Six Rivers Brewery co-owner, Meredith Maier, set her sights high for this year’s local collaboration. Inviting women from every local brewery, cidery and distillery to participate, Maier is excited for the opportunity to celebrate women in what has historically been a male-dominated field.
“A powerhouse of ladies taking over our brewhouse is my dream day! And choosing to donate the proceeds of our beer to McKinleyville’s Family Resource Center makes it even sweeter,” Maier said. On March 8, the female co-owners, distillers and team members of Alchemy Distillery, Humboldt Craft Spirits, Jewell Distillery, Humboldt Distillery, Mad River Brewing, Eel River Brewing, Humboldt Cider Company and Wrangletown Cider Company will come together to brew a Hazy IPA style beer under the direction of Six Rivers’ head brewer Carlos Sanchez.
This brew day coincides with the Pink Boots Society (PBS) Collaboration Brew Day and will utilize their exclusive hop blend – formulated by Yakima Chief Hops – who donates $3 of every pound of hops sold to the Pink Boots Society. PBS is an organization whose mission is to assist, inspire and encourage women beer industry professionals to advance their careers through education. Each chapter of PBS around the world will create their brew using these hops.
As Humboldt’s PBS Chair and co-owner of one of the few women-owned breweries in California, Maier is clearly enthusiastic about supporting women in the beer industry. But this year’s International Women’s Brew Day created the perfect set of circumstances to support local businesses, another mission that is close to her heart.
Alchemy Distillery co-owner and distiller Amy Bohner shares this passion for partnering with local businesses – she will be contributing local grain milled and supplied by her award-winning distillery grown at nearby Hindley Ranch in Honeydew. Alchemy’s focus is creating small batch, high quality spirits using local grains. Bohner noted, “We have a large sign that hangs in our Distillery that says we are nothing without our farmers. Teaming up with local farmers is at the core of our business philosophy. Collaborating with local businesses is one of my favorite things about being a woman in business.”
Both Alchemy Distillery and Six Rivers Brewery are members of Humboldt Made – a local non-profit dedicated to growing the Redwood Coast’s economy by supporting homegrown businesses, Maier embraces the notion that ‘a rising tide lifts all ships.’ “Being able to share this brew day with fellow local business owners is energizing! At Six Rivers we strive to include as many Humboldt Made producers as possible throughout our menu and behind our bar,” Maier said. Hoping that this Brew Day will give way to successful future collaborations.
The Hazy IPA is expected to be on tap at Six River’s 15th Anniversary party on Sunday, March 17. An all day party featuring live music from the Pine Box Boys and the culmination of their “Brew Your Beard” beard growing contest (a fundraiser for McKinleyville’s Teen Center). Find more information about this event on their Facebook page.
More about PBS Brew Day: During the 2017 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, the Pink Boots Hops Blend was released to commercial brewers to encourage them to work with PBS members to create their own celebratory brews. This year’s blend includes Loral, Glacier, Mosaic, Simcoe and Sabro. Each year, a new hops blend will be chosen during the harvest season by members of the Pink Boots Society. Visit www.unitebrew.org.
About Humboldt Made
Humboldt Made was initiated by the County of Humboldt in 2010 to spur the growth of a diverse array of makers and producers. The idea was to bring entrepreneurs together, identify their common strengths and weaknesses and through networking and collaboration overcome obstacles and achieve great things together. Creating brand awareness and increased sales beyond Humboldt’s borders was key, the end result being a sustainable, local economy. For more information, visit humboldtmade.com