Advice from Female Gypsy Brewers in Amsterdam

Two sisters from Amsterdam, Do and Tessel de Heij, turned their kitchen experiments with hops, herbs, malt, and wheat into a business—Gebrouwen door Vrouwen, which translates to “Brewed by Women.” Currently, they are gypsy brewers. They travel from one brick and mortar brewery to another to make their own beer, paying for the use of the space and equipment.

Since their founding in 2015, their products are enjoyed throughout the Netherlands. Over 600 Dutch cafes and restaurants have Gebrouwen door Vrouwen on the menu. The sisters have also expanded their reach to China, Bonaire, an island off the coast of Venezuela, and eventually Singapore.

Do and Tessel are thirsty to push their brand to a whole new level. They are currently in the middle of making their own brew pub. They’ve purchased a location in the Oud West area of Amsterdam. This up and coming location boasts diversity, full of quaint cafes and a charming neighborhood feel. If you’re interested in investing in this female-run business, read more on their crowdfunding venture. As of now, they are on track to open their doors March 1, 2019.

In the immediate future, Do and Tessel are at Troost Brewery, working on a beer called Zonnig Zeewit, made with seaweed from Zeeboerderij Ijmond. This foundation grows seaweed in the North Sea in efforts to clean up the ocean. Gebrouwen door Vrouwen will donate 10 cents for each bottle they sell of the new seaweed beer to the foundation.

Even with the major advancements Do and Tessel have made since the start of the company only 4 years ago, they are still looking toward the future. In the next 5 years, they hope to build the most sustainable brewery in Europe. To stay up to date with Gebrouwen door Vrouwen, follow their spunky, girl-powered instagram account here.

Left: Fenna van Strien, Right: Tessel de Heij

Advice from Brewer Tessel de Heij to Starting Your Own Beer Company:

• Just start brewing and you will be motivated by all the positive reactions from the people around you!
• Write everything down very carefully.
• Clean Clean Clean! One bacteria can destroy your beer.
• It is important to be able to share your successes and failures, so bring at least 1 partner into your business.
• The people you hire are your most important asset.
• It is really, really hard work, so you HAVE to like what you do, otherwise you won’t be able to keep going.

“It is really nice to be an all women company in the beer industry, we get a lot of attention and positive feedback. People really like the ‘girl power’ vibe that comes with the brand.” –Tessel de Heij, co-founder and brewer at Gebrouwen door Vrouwen

 

“The beer industry has been booming the last years. Many craft breweries have developed and put themselves in the market. The industry, however, is still a man’s world. In Amsterdam we are still the only woman’s beer brand (as far as I know). In the country there are a few more women who started their own beer brand.” -Fenna van Strien of Gebrouwen door Vrouwen

 

Robyn Schumacher from Stoup Brewing

Meet Robyn Schumacher. She’s a brewer and an owner of Stoup Brewing in Seattle’s Ballard Brewing District. After teaching high school biology for many years, Robyn turned her career path upside down. In 2012, she became a certified cicerone (that’s basically a sommelier, but for beer)–making her the first woman in the state of Washington to hold that title. Robyn’s refined palate and background in science give her a unique perspective on brewing.

“There are a lot of women in all aspects of the beer industry here in Seattle. Two out of the three owners here at Stoup are women. There are fewer women on the production/brewing side, but we still have a really strong community. We meet regularly to discuss different aspects of the industry and share our knowledge with each other. Women are naturally collaborative so it’s a great way to learn from and support each other.” -Seattle Brewer Robyn Schumacher

“Be honest with yourself about what you know and what you don’t know. It’s not as simple as scaling up from homebrew. It’s also a full time commitment to run a business. Be prepared for that!” -Robyn Schumacher of Stoup Brewing

“I love creating something that makes people happy. It’s really fulfilling to work with your hands and produce a product. At the end of the brew day, the taproom opens and I get to finish brewing while watching our beer drinking community enjoy themselves,and each other, over a beer.” -Robyn Schumacher

Robyn’s Favorite Beer: Stoup Citra IPA

Visit Stoup Brewing the next time you’re in the Seattle area. Click here to learn more.

Happy American Craft Beer Week

As you may know, Crafted in Carhartt has been in Seattle this week gathering stories about the amazing women of the Pacific Northwest. On Monday night, Pike Brewing Company hosted an event to celebrate Women in Beer. Talented folks from all over the Washington area showed up with plenty of beer to share.

Pike Brewing is located in Pike Place Market, Seattle’s original Farmer’s Market.

Crafted in Carhartt did a shoot with the talented women who work and brew there 5 years ago. (click here to see the photos)

Pike Brewing is located in Pike Place Market, Seattle’s original Farmer’s Market. Crafted in Carhartt did a shoot with the talented women who work and brew there 5 years ago. (click here to see the photos)

Here are a few of the people we met this week while celebrating the hard work women are doing in the American Craft Beer Scene.

Cheyenne Weishaar of Dru Bru, aka @brewingbabe

Cheyenne is a nature junkie who lives in Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. In college, she was a biology major–so the science behind the beer is the passion that drives her craft. Her first job in the industry was a floor scrubber and keg washer–since then, she has worked her way up to Professional Brewer. Follow her on instagram for an inside scoop on the scientific side of brewing, pictures of her sweet pup, and other beer adventures.

“The most valuable lesson I have learned as a woman in the brewing industry is that creativity and critical thinking are your two most important tools. The job is tough—tanks are large, kegs are heavy, and brew days don’t always go as planned—so a willingness to step back from a problem situation and find an innovative solution is immeasurably valuable. Modifying your surroundings to fit your needs is often the best possible solution. Sheer physical strength doesn’t always make a great brewer, but creativity and the willingness to be flexible about your surroundings does.” –Cheyenne Weishaar

Gay Gilmore of Optimism Brewing

Gay and her husband met while working at Microsoft, they left and started a popular recipe website, Recipezaar. Eventually, the two sold it and started a brewery. Gay and Troy now use techniques they learned during their time in the tech industry to set their latest venture, Optimism Brewing in Capital Hill, apart from the rest.

“We’re trying to bring more people to beer, and not just make something that is for beer snobs. I find it a great success whenever I’m working the counter and someone comes in and says, ‘I’m usually a wine drinker. What should I have?’…and I’m like, great! That’s a challenge. That’s fun–and tasting them through all of these beers and they’re shocked because normally they’ve only had one kind. All they’ve ever had was macro beer in college, and that doesn’t have the same kind of flavor of what they are looking for. Exposing that is fun for us.” –Gay Gilmore

Holly Ihrig of Sumerian Brewing

Holly and her husband, Mark, founded Sumerian Brewing in Woodenville, Washington. They opened in 2015 and have been making a name for themselves ever since. With a background in marketing and design, Holly drives the branding of the brewery.

“Our commitment is to brew great tasting, quality, and impressionable West Coast style beers. Big, bold in character and flavorful.”

Holly Brieger of Icicle Brewing Company

Holly works at Icicle Brewing Company in Leavenworth, Washington. As a company, they are devoted to using local ingredients in all of their products. Follow Icicle on instagram to stay up to date on this family owned business in the heart of the Bavarian-style village in the Cascade Mountains.

“Do it even though it’s scary. Get outside of your comfort zone and don’t stop.” –Holly Brieger

 

Jen Nicosia of Georgetown Beer

Brewer Jen Nicosia has been in the beer scene for many years. She moved to Seattle in 2014 for more opportunities in the industry. As a member of the Seattle chapter of the Pink Boots Society, an organization of female brewers created to inspire and encourage, she is a champion for women joining the beer workforce.

“My advice for others looking to get into the beer game is to learn as much as you can all the time – read, attend seminars, try sensory evaluations, get on a canning line. This game is ever evolving and learning about every part of the job, from keg cleaning to mashing in, is incredibly important to maintaining a great product. Always try to be more efficient every day, too.  It is super helpful and will get you brownie points. But most of all, be in this game for the beer – not to prove a point. At the end of the day, the beer doesn’t care who you are just as long as you take care of it.” –Jen Nicosia

 

Robyn Schumacher of Stoup Brewing

Robyn is an owner of Stoup Brewing in Ballard’s Brewing District. She is a brewer and a certified Cicerone. Her refined palate, love of science, and commitment to the traditions of the trade set her skills above and beyond.

“I love creating something that makes people happy. It’s really fulfilling to work with your hands and produce a product. At the end of the brew day, the taproom opens and I get to finish brewing while watching our beer drinking community enjoy themselves, and each other, over a beer.” –Robyn Schumacher

As American Craft Beer Week is drawing to a close, make sure to thank a brewer while you kick off your work boots and relax this weekend. If you ask me, all fine people working in the beer industry are quite deserving of an entire week of recognition. Cheers!

Brewer Katarina Martinez

Meet Brewer Katarina Martinez. She owns and operates Lineup Brewing, out of Brooklyn.

“I’m from Colorado so an interest in beer kind of came organically. It started with acquiring a taste and quickly evolved into wanting to learn more about the different styles and processes. Eventually I reached a point where I thought, ‘hey, I can make this at home.’” –@katarina_martinez

“Currently, I love clean styles. A good Pilsner or pale ale that highlight even the smallest subtleties of the hop addition’s flavors and characteristics.” -Katarina Martinez

“It’s always difficult being a woman in a male dominated industry. Will they accept me? Will they take me seriously? The industry and brewers themselves have been great at accepting me for the most part. Consumers are definitely the harder audience.

Leaping is always the hardest part. Leaving a stable career at Adobe in NYC was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done. Losing that security net is daunting, but freeing at the same time.” -Katarina Martinez

“Learn! Start homebrewing. Take classes. Know more than the men that won’t take you seriously. Give zero reasons for anyone to question your expertise. Women are resilient. We always work harder because we often have to.

It’s not glamorous! So many people hit me up with the dream of owning a brewery but have never even explored homebrewing. Fermentation is not for everyone. I’ve encountered some of the most horribly gross situations along the way.” -Katarina Martinez of Lineup Brewing

“I did an interview where they asked me, ‘As a woman what kind of beer are going to make for your audience?’ And I said I am going to make good beer that both men and women want to drink. They thought I was maybe going to make a pink beer or something. Why does that have to be the thing that gets thrown out there? I can’t escape the fact that I’m a woman and I am going to keep embracing it. If I can make really great beer and be an example of a woman in beer who does that, it will prove everyone wrong and extinguish all the beliefs that that isn’t possible.” -Katarina Martinez

 

Follow Lineup Brewing for updates on where you can find Katarina’s brews.

Happy Fourth!

It’s time to celebrate! We have a lot to be thankful for. What festivities are you up to today? BBQ and a couple of barrel-aged pale ales sound good!

 

 

Mother’s Day BBQ Brunch

With Mother’s Day around the corner, it’s a great time to start planning your surprise for mom. We have a great idea for you this year—throw her a BBQ brunch. Gather all those she holds dear in the world, bring on the good food, and don’t let her lift a finger. After all the snuggles, love, and encouragement she’s given you over the years, wouldn’t it be great to honor Mom with a little more umph?

Take a look through our simple DIYs for your BBQ brunch that’ll blow Mom away. We used Carhartt Woodsman Beer to add some great flavor to our BBQ and we made a few chalkboard crafts to show Mom how much you care in a creative personal way.

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Carhartt Woodsman

Exciting news on the Carhartt front: New Holland Brewing in Michigan created a beer just for us! It’s crafted from locally grown Cascade hops and barrel aged into an American pale ale, with a hint of malty sweetness and toasted oak. The Carhartt team took a road trip all the way from Dearborn, MI to the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado. The photos above are from their pit stop at Subterranean in Chicago for a night of live music, good beer, and beer art. Let’s all raise a frothy glass to the 125 years that Carhartt has gratefully served the hard working men and women across the US; forged by sweat, grit, and sturdy gear.

what I wore: Carhartt Women’s Belton Shirt & Carhartt Women’s Series 1889 Sim-Fit Double Front Denim Dungaree (tune in for tomorrow’s post to see this outfit in action) 

DIY: for Dad’s Day

The way to your dad’s heart is through his stomach. With Father’s Day just around the corner, give him a tasty treat the whole family can enjoy– whiskey BBQ sauce, made with love. If you’re Dad likes to grill, let him cook up a storm. Or you can go the extra mile and fire up the grill yourself.

shop this look: Women’s Force Performance Tank, Straight Fit Slim Jean, Dearborn Belt, Wellington Boot

What you need for the sauce:
3/4 cups of honey whiskey
1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 a sweet onion
2 cups of ketchup
4 garlic cloves

1. heat the onion, garlic, and whiskey in a pan for 10 minutes
2. separately mix the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, brown sugar, Sriracha, salt and pepper
3. combine the two mixtures in the pan and simmer for 20 minutes (stir occasionally)
4. can it, refrigerate it, and give it to your pops!

Sarah Thevenot of Stubb’s BBQ

Welcome to hell’s half acre, folks! That’s the affectionate way Stubb referred to what is now the location of Stubb’s BBQ in Austin. It is the place for good BBQ, good beer, and good music. So much history is jam packed into that joint. Stubb, respected war veteran and a real good cook,
opened up his first restaurant in 1968. It was all about that hickory pit and the blues. Legends like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters, and Willie Nelson all played there.

Even though Stubb passed a few years back, his spirit lives on in the food and the work ethic that drives the place now. Sarah, pictured above, started off as a bartender at Stubb’s and eventually worked her way up the ladder. She’s now the Special Events and Catering Director. There’s nothing like hard work to get you where you want to go.

shop Sarah’s look: Huron Shirt, Clarkston Cami, Curvy-Fit Tomboy Pant

The Women of Pike Brewing

Meet the lovely ladies of The Pike Brewing Company in Seattle, Washington. The brewery sits smack dab in the middle of Pike Place Market. It was a blast getting the tour from the girls— what a great work environment. I have such mad respect for women who drink good beer. And these ladies don’t just drink it, they make it! If you’re ever in the lovely city of Seattle, make sure to stop by Pikes for a beer. (Try the Pike Stout, it’s my favorite.)