Today marks the 80th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition in the United States! On December 5th 1933, Utah (ironic enough) was the final state to ratify the 21st Amendment, fulfilling the 1/3 majority vote needed for its passage. And thus, the 18th Amendment – banning the sale and manufacturing of alcohol – was repealed!

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The 21st Amendment

Ratified December 5, 1933
Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use there in of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

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A little over 100 years ago there were over 3,000 breweries in the United States, but then along came Prohibition. But the American brewing spirit persevered. 5 years after its repeal there were several hundred breweries producing beer. (source: Dr. Bill Sysak, Stone Brewing Co.)

Today in America, there are over 2,136 breweries — a number which is rapidly increasing, according the Brewers Association.

Although today is a very happy day in the history of the U.S. (for alcohol lovers), the effects of Prohibition still live on 79 years later. Nearly half of Mississippi’s counties are dry. Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Virginia and Texas all boast a high percentage of dry counties. Alaska has nearly 129 dry towns. And then, there are the hundreds of, often contradictory, state alcohol laws across the country that regulate the manufacturing and sale of alcohol. Here are some examples of these laws.

But, at the end of the day, even with how annoying some state laws might be, we can still be eternally grateful that we are not, in fact, experiencing a complete Prohibition (although, some regions might feel like they are).

In celebration of the 21st Amendment and support of the craft beer revolution, I thought it was only appropriate to share with the world a video that I, personally, believe truly encompasses the craft beer mentality and the passion of its biggest advocates.

“We must educate the average beer drinker. We must illuminate the possibilities. We must help and support our local breweries. We must spread the message. Introduce, educate, and illuminate the choices. Spread the message and declare with conviction:

I AM A CRAFT BEER DRINKER.”

I am a Craft Beer Drinker from New Brew Thursday on Vimeo

Written by Stephen Johnson : @darthweef
Directed by John Holzer : @johnholzer
Produced by New Brew Thursday : @newbrewthursday

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Whereas I don’t always believe that women need to segregate themselves from the men in the craft beer industry through the creation of gender-based organizations and groups, I do believe that the women in the industry do deserve to be celebrated. While there are so many more women in the industry that I would have loved to have highlighted, I have narrowed down the top 10 Amazing Women in Craft Beer that I personally think every craft beer lover should know and follow.

Please note that this list is based on my personal opinions and relationships with these women, and is therefore extremely biased. Nonetheless, these are all very important women who have already and continue to make a huge impact on the beautiful world of craft beer. Also note that the order of the women on the list does not signify ranking, it is merely a listing. Cheers!

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Photo: CraftBeer.com

1. Julia Herz

Craft Beer Program Director, Brewer’s Association

Biographical Snapshot: Julia Herz is orchestrator of Craft Beer Muses, CraftBeer.com’s outlet for furthering the craft beer conversation. As the Craft Beer Program Director Brewers Association (BA) and Publisher of CraftBeer.com, Julia serves as an advocate for and educator about U.S. craft brewers, and is a key spokesperson for the BA.

Julia is a BJCP beer judge, award-winning homebrewer, a Certified Cicerone® and leader of American Craft Beer Week. Her areas of expertise include: resources and education on craft beer, general statistics on the craft brewer segment, beer styles and trends plus craft beer and food pairing. She has been featured by the Food Network ‘Unwrapped’ Series, interviewed on Public Radio, Sirius/XM, CNBC Squawk Box, Fox News and hundreds of other media outlets. Julia is a graduate of University of South Florida and previously worked at CNN in Washington D.C.

Why Julia is a Rockstar: Julia is the epiphany of the term “craft beer advocate” — regardless of gender. Julia is arguably the strongest voice of the craft beer industry. Her passion, drive and knowledge is extremely inspiring. She has, hands down, one of the best palates I’ve ever seen in my life. If there is one person in the craft beer community that I aspire to be like the most, man or woman, it is Julia.

Follow Julia on Twitter: @HerzMuses

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Photo: TeriFahrendorf.com

2. Teri Fahrendorf

Brewmaster, Road Brewer, Founder of Pink Boots Society

Biographical Snapshot: Teri is the second woman brewmaster in the history of American craft beer. She was the first woman brewmaster at both a California craft brewery and at an Oregon craft brewery. Her extensive brewing experience includes Sieben’s River North Brewpub in Chicago; Golden Gate Brewing Company in Berkeley, California; Triple Rock Brewing Company in Berkeley, California; and Steelhead Brewing Company‘s five locations in Oregon and California. Teri has won a total of eights medals in the Great American Beer Festival competition.

Teri is currently the President of the Pink Boots Society, an international charitable trade organization created to inspire, encourage, and empower women to become professionals in the Beer Industry. Teri also boasts experience as a technical speaker at many beer industry conferences, and has written technical articles for brewing trade magazines and books. Teri is a graduate of the Siebel Institute of Brewing Technology in Chicago, where she was voted Class President; the first woman class president in Siebel’s history. Teri also has a Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin.

Why Teri is a Rockstar: When Teri first started brewing professionally in 1989, there were virtually no women working in breweries. Now, as a result of her efforts with the Pink Boots Society, every major and most of the smaller craft breweries in the country have at least one woman on the team. I have yet to meet her in person, but I look forward to that day!

Follow Pink Boots on Twitter: @PinkBootsBeer

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Photo: Facebook

3. Lucy Saunders

Owner, F&B Communications LLC

Biographical Snapshot: Lucy is a writer (newspapers, magazines and books) and educator primarily focused on food & beer pairings, cooking with beer, and environmentalism in the beer industry. She is the author of five cookbooks including Cooking with Beer,Grilling with Beer,and The Best of American Beer & Food. Lucy was one of three women who contributed to Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser — an international collection of essays honoring the famous beer & whiskey writer, Michael Jackson. Lucy is also an instructor at the Siebel Institute on Beer & Food.

In addition to her writings, Lucy is the organizer of the Great Lakes Water Conservation Conference for craft brewers and policy makers as well as a speaker on sustainability topics in brewing. Lucy is a graduate of the Siebel Institute’s Sensory Evaluation course, and trained in baking and pastry at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. She also graduated from Hamilton University with a Bachelors degree in English Literature.

Why Lucy is a Rockstar: Not only is Lucy a pioneer in the world of food & beer, but I also consider her to be a beloved mentor, trusted friend and respected colleague. Ever since I met her (roughly 4 years ago), Lucy has taken me under her wing and has been one of my greatest supporters. She is one of the most intelligent, passionate and kindest people I have ever met. I have learned so much and have so much more to learn from Lucy.

Follow Lucy on Twitter: @lucybeercook & @GLWater

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Photo: Facebook

4. Wendy Littlefield

Co-Founder, Vanberg & DeWulf

Biographical Snapshot: Founded in 1982 by Wendy Littlefield and her husband Don, Vanberg & DeWulf pioneered the importation of artisan ales from Belgium. From 1997 to 2003, Wendy and her husband Don co-founded and ran Brewery Ommegang, the first brewery to produce cork-finished, bottle conditioned Belgian style beers in America. Wendy was the first American woman inducted into the Belgian Brewers Guild in its more than 500 year history.

Wendy is also the founder of Pi Group, a marketing consulting firm with special interest in women’s issues, girls’ education, widening participation for minorities, sustainable dining on campus – and how non-profits can use social networking to advance their causes. She graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a Bachelors degree in Architectural History.

Why Wendy is a Rockstar: As fate would have it, I met Wendy the very same day I met Lucy (above) — a pinnacle moment in my life as a female beer blogger and aspiring beer professional. Wendy’s resume is quite possibly the most impressive of all the women in the craft beer industry. If anyone should be deemed the first woman pioneer of craft beer in the U.S., Wendy gets my vote. I’m proud to call her a friend and mentor. I look forward to the day when I can join in on one her adventures in Belgium.

Follow Wendy on Twitter: @belgianexpert

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Photo: Discovery.com

5. Mariah Calagione

Vice President/ Marketing, Dogfish Head Brewery

Biographical Snapshot: Considered the right-side of the brain inside the workings of Dogfish Head, Mariah is not just Sam’s wife, but an integral part of the Dogfish Head team. After supporting her husband with an actual paycheck for the first few years, Mariah joined the Dogfish Head team full-time in 1997. As Vice President, Mariah works with the marketing, web, merchandise, tour and community teams. She also oversees all the social media marketing done by Dogfish.

Prior to and during the beginning of Dogfish Head’s development, she was Director at WBOC-TV, a CBS affiliate based in Maryland. Mariah graduated with a Bachelors in Public Policy from Brown University.

Why Mariah is a Rockstar: Mariah is living proof that behind every great man is an even greater woman (no offense Sam). In my eyes, Mariah is the glue that holds Dogfish Head’s core together. She is one of the brilliant minds behind Dogfish Head’s creative and innovative marketing. Under Mariah’s leadership, Dogfish Head has emerged as one of the, if not the, most influential craft beer brands on social media. She is also one of the biggest supporters of beer bloggers, and I am honored to call her a friend!

Follow Mariah on Twitter: @dogfishbeer

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Photo: Entrepreneur Magazine

6. Kim Jordan

CEO & President, New Belgium Brewing

Biographical Snapshot: As CEO and President of New Belgium Brewing, Kim is active in day-to-day sales, Branding, and Organizational Development aspects of the business with a huge focus on mid-range and long-range strategical development. She cultivated her passion for social work, the environment and community to develop one of the fastest growing craft breweries in the U.S. Under her leadership, New Belgium boasts a healthy internal culture with progressive policies such as employee-ownership, open book management and philanthropic giving. She negotiated New Belgium’s transition to wind powered electricity through an employee vote and as over seen the implementation of Colorado’s largest private solar array at the Fort Collins facility.

In her twenty years as an entrepreneur, Kim has spoken to thousands of people in the business, nonprofit and academic worlds about how to create a vibrant and rewarding work culture that enhances the bottom line. Kim graduated from Colorado State University with a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Her early work included being an advocate for women’s rights and family health at Project Self Sufficiency.

Why Kim is a Rockstar: Kim is one of the most powerful women in craft beer. As the third largest craft brewery in the U.S., New Belgium changing the way craft beer is perceived and consumed in the marketplace. Kim is also driving major change in policy and brewing operations across the world. But don’t let her success and notoriety intimidate, Kim is an extremely down to earth, very approachable woman.

Follow New Belgium on Twitter: @newbelgium

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Photo: Facebook

7. Lisa Morrison

Author, Craft Beers of the Pacific Northwest

Biographical Snapshot: Known amongst the craft beer community as The Beer Goddess, Lisa is a Portland-based freelance beer writer, published author, beer instructor, beer judge and general crusader for the craft beer movement. Her freelance writing work includes: the Brewers Association’s New Brewer, Celebrator Beer News, Northwest Brewing News and more. Lisa is also the host of Beer O’Clock, a radio program on Newsradio 101 FM KXL connecting beer lovers from around the world to the best in great beer through exclusive interviews, brews news, event listings, and tasting notes, etc.

Lisa is also the author of Craft Beers of the Pacific Northwest, the first book in more than a decade that brings beer lovers the very best insider information on the best places to source Northwest beer. Lisa graduated Colorado State University with a degree in Technical Journalism.

Why Lisa is a Rockstar: As one of the first modern-day female beer writers, Lisa has helped to forge the path for beer writer a bloggers, both male and female alike. She is a staple and a figure in her local Portland beer scene, actively supporting her local watering holes, breweries, fellow beer writers and bloggers. Lisa is one of the kindest women I have ever met, and I’m truly honored to call her a friend.

Follow Lisa on Twitter: @TheBeerGoddess

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Photo: Jon Weber, BeerObsessed.com

8. Nicole Erny

Exam Manager, Cicerone Certification Program

Biographical Snapshot: By far the youngest on this list, Nicole Erny was recently crowned the first woman Master Cicerone, and is one of four people in the world to claim the title. Her main responsibilities at the Cicerone Certification Program include planning and managing all aspects of the Certified Cicerone Exam; leading trainings for distributors, brewery sales teams, and other groups of beer industry professionals; Administering the Cicerone Exam at various locations throughout the US and beyond.

As a native Northern Californian with a special focus on Belgian beer, Nicole has created fantastic beer menus and formulated pairings that have captured the interest of beer drinkers from novice to expert. She has a Bachelor’s Degree,Interdisciplinary Humanities with emphasis in Media Studies from New College of California.

Why Nicole is a Rockstar: As someone who is lucky enough to live in Nicole’s neck of the world, I can attest to her super-human tasting powers and ridiculously vast knowledge of beer. When I first met Nicole, as she was tending bar at The Trapist in Oakalnd, I knew right away that she was destined for great things in beer. I’ve had the honor of taking the Certified Cicerone Exam under her management, and have experienced her training first hand. She is one of the most energetic women in the industry, and I’m really excited to see what she accomplishes in the coming years!!

Follow Nicole on Twitter: @Beer_Muse

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Photo: Melissa Cole

9. Melissa Cole

Author, Let Me Tell You About Beer

Biographical Snapshot: Melissa is an expert beer writer, beer event organizer, bar staff training and corporate events. Melissa Cole is also the founder and author of the popular UK beer blog, Taking the Beard Out of Beer. Melissa has been invited to judge at beer competitions from London to Italy and Amsterdam to America, having built a reputation as having a fine palate and fun approach to all things brewed. She is lead partner in London’s only dedicated beer tasting business, lovebeer@borough in Borough Market.

Melissa recently published her début book on beer, Let Me Tell You About Beer. She is also London’s leading exponent of corporate tastings and beer experiences, with everything from 10 cover high-end beer matched dinners for senior executives of blue chip companies to themed canape receptions for 300 delegates under her belt. Melissa was also named one of the Most Powerful Women in the Drinks Industry by Channel4 Food.

Why Melissa is a Rockstar: The percentage of women beer drinkers in the UK is pathetically low. So much so, that mega-corporations have targeted the alcohol loving women of the UK with horrible marketing gimmicks like clear beer. Through her writing, speaking engagements, and event planning, Melissa has made it her mission to educate women in the UK about craft beer. She is a friend that I frequently enjoy standing next to on a virtual soap box, using our blogs and Twitter voices to inspire change in the beer community.

Follow Melissa on Twitter: @MelissaCole

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Photo: ryan tillotson

10. Gwen Conley

Quality Assurance Manager, Lost Abbey

Biographical Snapshot: Gwen got her start in the beer biz as microbiologist for Coors in Golden, Colorado. She left Coors to work for the Ball Corporation, where she went through their sensory training program and became an expert on how colors, aromas, and flavors work together to create sensory experiences. After that, Gwen took her experience to Flying Dog, where she managed their QA efforts and conducted educational programs in beer and food pairings.

Gwen is currently manages the brewing and production processes at Lost Abbey where she is “putting all that fancy science equipment in the lab to work”. She also oversees Lost Abbey’s sensory sessions and assists in production of its much sought after barrel blends. Gwen is an instructor at the American Brewers Guild, instructing aspiring brewers on the subjects of Quality and Microbiology. She graduated the University of Colorado with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology.

Why Gwen is a Rockstar: Picture the phrase: Kicking ass and taking names — that is Gwen. Gwen is quite possibly the most badass woman in the craft beer world. Although extremely fun and sociable, Gwen is one tough and serious chick when it comes to the quality of beer. Her lab work is changing the landscape of beer, one microorganism at a time. But don’t let her geeky science background fool you, Gwen definitely knows how to have a good time

Follow Gwen on Twitter: @sensorygoddess

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 Cheers!!!

I frequently get asked for suggestions on beer brands, bloggers and personalities to follow on Twitter. Over two years ago, I released a blog post about the 20 Most Compelling Beer Personalities on Twitter — and to this day it remains of of my most popular posts. Being that it has been two years since I released that list, and many things have changed since, I thought that this would be an appropriate time to update it.

Naturally, this list is entirely subjective and based solely on my own opinions and personal experiences. You may be asking what my criteria is for developing such a list? Well let us start by defining the word compelling:

com⋅pel⋅ling  [kuhm-pel-ing]
–adjective
1. tending to compel; overpowering: compelling reasons.
2. having a powerful and irresistible effect; requiring acute admiration, attention, or respect: (a man of compelling integrity; a compelling drama)

The Wench’s Criteria:

1. COMPELLING ENOUGH TO FOLLOW: I must follow this person (duh!). Unfortunately, this rules out the people I do not follow — which means this list has potential to change in the future.
2. COMPELLING CONTENT: Tweets contain information of value in relation to the craft beer industry. (i.e.: news updates, events, announcements, beer reviews, links to beer related information, etc…)
3. COMPELLING PERSONALITY: Twitter personality is interesting and captivating. There is a person behind the twitter handle — they are more than just a “brand” or a “blog”.
4. COMPELLING CONVERSATION: Community engagers — people who are constantly engaging in conversations with the twitter community (whether it be through retweeting or replies). People who constantly have one way conversations, in my opinion, are not compelling. Talk to me. And I will follow you.

Essentially, what I’m about to give you is a list of the beer personalities and brands on Twitter that I follow the closest. These are the sources I trust most and the people whose opinions I value the highest — when it comes to craft beer. When they tweet about a beer, I want it. When they post a link, I click on it. When they talk, I listen.

Drum roll please….

The Beer Wench’s Top 20 Most Compelling Personalities on Twitter (2011)

1. @HerzMuses: Julia is one of my favorite people in the craft beer industry — as well as one of my favorite humans on this planet. She is the Craft Beer Program Director for the Brewers Association and one of the biggest craft beer evangelists I have ever met. She tweets out great links to very important articles and is a huge supporter of beer bloggers. AND, she has one of the best palates in the biz.

2. @Cicerone_Org: Ray Daniels is one of the foremost educators on the subject of beer. He is one of the most brilliant men I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in real life. If you need to know something about beer, from brewing to serving to pairing with food, he is the man to talk to — especially since he is very interactive with followers.

3. @Homebrewchef: Chef, brewer, writer, radio host — when it comes to all things beer, Sean is king. Whether it be posting menus from his beer dinners, recipes or pictures of food, Sean is constantly torturing his followers with his food and beverage experiences. He is very engaging and is always offering advice and suggestions to his friends and followers.

4. @adamnason: Adam currently runs one of THE best beer news sites out there — beernews.org. He is always tweeting out the most cutting edge beer news. Whether it be announcing new beer releases or beer events, this guy is definitely one of the best beer sources on the web! Also follow @beerpulse for more of his updates.

5. @beerwars: Anat Baron might be allergic to beer, but that hasn’t stopped her from being one of the biggest advocates in this industry. In addition to creating the best documentary on craft beer, she is also a fantastic speaker and a very strong woman. Her tweets are extremely informative and I always click on every link she posts — because I know it’s going to be good.

6. @dogfishbeer: Dogfish Head has one of the best beer brand presences on Twitter. Mariah is constantly retweeting her followers and engaging in conversations. The majority of the time, if you send her a question or mention her brand, she responds. AND she pays attention to other people’s conversations, not just her own. Mariah kicks ass.

7. @StoneGreg: Another “brand” that utilizes social media very well. Greg is the owner of Stone Brewing Co. He travels a subhuman amount and is constantly engaging the Twitter communities and bars in the places he visits. He also does a great job of voicing his opinion on important topics in the craft beer industry.

8. @JasonAlstrom: Jason is the co-founder of Beer Advocate — one of the largest internet based forums for beer. Jason is constantly tasting new beers from all over the world, and shares his experiences with us on Twitter (many of which are also paired with a song from Pandora). He also does a great deal of travel and shares his beer adventures with his followers on Twitter. Also follow @BeerAdvocate for more of his musings.

9. @MelissaCole: Melissa is my top resource for beer news from across the pond (she’s a Brit). She is the author of the book “Let Me Tell You About Beer” and the beer blog “Taking the Beard Out of Beer.” Melissa can also be found standing strong, beside me and some other strong women in beer, on the soapbox against sexism in beer marketing and other controversial topics. Her tweets are both informative, as well as entertaining.

10. @newbrewthursday: Video beer podcast consisting of a very dynamic and geeky crew. New Brew Thursday is always on the move, attending some of the industries hottest events and drinking some of the most coveted beers — sharing all of the experiences with their fans on Twitter. Follow the crew: Stephen: @darthweef, John: @johnholzer, and Matt: @SmallBatchBrew

11. @FW_Brewmaster: Although brand spanking new to Twitter, Matt Brynildson is one of the most compelling people on Twitter because he is, quite possibly, the best brewer in the world. But don’t just take my word for it, count his medals. To be fair, though, he has already done an awesome job at providing great content and engaging his followers on Twitter.

12. @BeaumontDrinks: Stephen is my favorite beer writer, aside from the late Michael Jackson. He is also one of my greatest influencers and the man responsible for introducing me to the Saison — my second favorite beer style of all time. It only took him about 3 years of nagging to get on Twitter, but now that he has he is definitely doing a great job and I try never to miss a tweet.

13. @BREWPUBLIC: Focused primarily on Portland and the state of Oregon, Angelo runs one of the highest ranked and most popular beer blogs in the world. He was also named the best beer bartender of the best beer bar in the state of Washington by the Northwest Brewing News — which is no small feat. But no worries, fame does not get to this kid’s head, he is probably the most humble and loving person in the beer industry.

14. @hopcast: Chicago is a great beer town and, thanks to Brad and Ken of the video beer podcast Hop Cast, I am able to keep up with all of the latest news. The duo runs one of the most entertaining video beer podcasts (all others, except NBT, fall flat) and I am most definitely a subscriber. Also follow the boys on their alter egos: @beerad and @hopcastken

15. @lucybeercook: A pioneer in the craft beer industry, Lucy has been publishing books and writing articles about beer for decades now. Her specialty is cooking and grilling with beer and her tweets about recipes and food are sure to make you drool. When she isn’t rocking the world of beer and food, Lucy is sustainability leader in the industry and the organizer of water conservation conferences for the beer industry.

16. @masterpairings: Dr. Bill has tasted over 30, 000 — yes, count those zeroes — beers in his lifetime. He is quite possibly the most well-traveled man in beer as well. His expertise lies in food and beer pairings, and all of his tweets will torture you to no end. Foie Gras and Westie 12? Yep, Dr. Bill will go there. And you can watch it all go down on Twitter.

17. @bruisinales: This woman must be a robot, because I swear she never sleeps. Julie can be found on Twitter just about every minute of every day. No really. Julie is a great example of a craft beer retailer that really understands how to use social media to reach out to and influence her target audience. Her tweets are very entertaining and she provides a lot of great content regarding beer releases, beer events and beer news. (Plus you can order beer from her online! Win!)

18. @TheArtofBeer: Taylor is one of the biggest craft beer evangelists on Twitter. She has been known to send (coveted) craft beer all around the country to her followers. She is extremely active in the twitter community and also very entertaining. If you are adventurous, make sure to follow the Twitter account of her trouble-causing rubber ducks — @TheRubberDucks — who are infamous for stealing and drinking cult craft beer.

19. @denverwagon: With a focus on the Denver booze scene, Denver Off The Wagon is a collaborative beer blog run by some of the funnest, cutest, and bestest beer/ spirits bloggers in the country. The tweets are extremely informative as well as entertaining and the group does a great job of promoting and engaging others on Twitter. Also follow @jesshunter @hookedonwinter @MlleBess @DenverBartender

20. @beermentv: Because I have to give a little love to the Southern Hemisphere. Beer Men TV definitely has the lock down on the craft beer scene down under (haha I can haz joke?) . I can always rely them to be available to chat on Twitter when all sane, non-insomniac Americans are asleep. The boys are very funny and encourage fun conversations on Twitter.

Well, there you have it….

But please note, this list does not even begin to give justice to the amazing beer community on Twitter. There are hundreds of beer loving people that I absolutely adore following on Twitter. The ones listed above just happen to be a few of the ones that I pay particularly close attention to… Happy #FollowFriday!

Cheers!

Dear Molson Coors,

I hate you.

Sincerely,

The Wench

Frankly, I don’t even know where to begin.

Two weeks ago, Molson Coors announced the release of a new line of beers specifically targeted towards women — a concept that not only angers and disgusts me, but is downright offensive.

I first got wind of the rumored “clear beer” last year, and most definitely aired my grievances then (read: BEER WARS: The Female Edition). But I had not heard anything more on the subject until recently. And as if clear beer wasn’t bad enough… Molson Coors also announced the launch of both a pink and yellow hued beer enhanced with what I assume is artificial flavoring.

Thankfully, this abomination of a product is only being released in the U.K. Those poor Brits…

According to research done by the marketing lackeys of Molson Coors, only 17% of women in the UK drink beer (as compared to 25% in the U.S.). Honestly, I don’t know much about the U.K. craft beer scene, aside from what Melissa Cole and Mark Dredge have told me. But something tells me that the lack of women drinking beer is a deeper issue than Molson Coors is willing to admit.

Perhaps the reason why more women drink beer in the U.S. is because our craft beer industry is twice, maybe 3 times larger and more extensive than the U.K.’s. Per capita, the U.S. has more craft breweries. And craft breweries make up a much larger percentage (albeit an extremely small percentage) of overall market share in the U.S.

So what does this mean? It means the average U.K. citizen is not exposed or does not have access to as much delicious flavorful beer as the U.S. Don’t get me wrong, the U.K. boasts a lot of really amazing and talented craft breweries. But from what I understand, corporate beer dominates the market place. And let’s face it, if my options were limited to corporate swill, I probably wouldn’t drink beer either.

Using probability theory and sheer common sense, one might be able to logically deduce a correlation between the fact that the U.S. has a larger craft beer market and a higher percentage of women beer drinkers. My theory is that, despite what Molson Coors research has concluded, women in fact prefer more flavorful, artisan-crafted beverages. This is also because I also believe that women, on average, have better palates than men. But, don’t just take my word for it…

According to research done at Yale University in the early 90′s, women, on average, possess more tastebuds than men. Linda Bartoshuk, professor of otolaryngology and psychology at Yale, is one of the leading scientists researching genetic variation in the ability to taste. She is the very scientist that coined the term “super taster,” which refers to those born with extra taste receptors. According to her research, 25% of the population are supertasters, 25% are nontasters and 50% are tasters. For American Caucasians, about 35% of women and only 15% of men are supertasters.

And the buck doesn’t stop at tasting. Marcia Pelchat, a sensory psychologist specializing in food and beverage selections at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, has been credited with concluding that, on average, women have a better sense of smell than men. And according to Marcia, both taste and smell contribute to the perception of flavor, which gives a stronger argument in favor of women being better tasters than men.

And researchers aren’t the only people acknowledging this fact. Even the big beer guys are catching on…

Last year, SABMiller announced that 30% of its 1,000 advanced-level tasters are female — a number that has roughly quadrupled in 10 years. Interestingly enough, SABMiller says its empirical evidence shows that females are the superior sex when it comes to detecting such undesirable chemicals such as 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol (which is responsible for skunk flavors in beer).

So hypothetically, if women are more sensitive to smell and better tasters than men, doesn’t it seem like they would desire more aromatics and flavor in beer? And conversely, if they are, in fact, more sensitive to smell and taste, they would be more capable of detecting off-flavors and flaws in beer, which means they have a higher chance of being turned off from beers (like adjunct lagers) that are characteristically flawed. Right?

As for the new Molson Coors product, let us discuss just how asinine and horrendous it truly is…

“The 4% ABV beer is lightly sparkling and finely filtered with a delicious, fresh taste. Animée will be available in three variants: clear filtered , crisp rosé and zesty lemon.” Let us get this straight. Molson Coors is blatantly implying that women have inferior palates. Wow. What a fucking smack in the face.

Not only did Molson Coors completely remove any sort of semblance of beer from the product, they also felt the need to spike it with artificial flavors and colors. It truly makes me want to scream and cry at the same time. This must be some sick and cruel joke.

And to add insult to injury. The rose flavor is fucking pink. I fucking hate pink. And when I saw the label with the pink hops, I threw up in my mouth. Twice.

Let us review what we have learned today: Molson Coors did some research and found that only 17% of women in the U.K. drink beer. Yale research says that women are more likely to be supertasters. Research also shows that women possess a more sensitive sense of smell. SABMiller is continuing to hire more women tasters because they acknowledge the aforementioned. Yet, Molson Coors thinks that instead of creating a more flavorful and aromatic beer to attract more women, the best plan was to completely strip beer of all of its wonderful qualities and add even more adjuncts and artificiality.

As much as I would love to speak on the behalf of all women out there, I can only speak for myself. Personally, I was very much NOT a beer drinker until I discovered craft beer. When I wanted to get drunk in college, I usually opted for disgusting mixed drinks and boxed wine over yellow fizzy mass-produced beer. It wasn’t until I started to study for sommelier certification when I was 22 that I really began to respect an appreciate the complexities and nuances in alcohol. But it wasn’t until I was exposed to the amazing world of craft beer, that I became a craft beer drinker. And now look at me….

In conclusion, being both a soapbox craft beer evangelist and feminist, there is no way in hell that I will advocate or support this product. In fact, I hope that the concept fails miserably and that Molson Coors loses big money in the process. And while I watch them crash and burn, I will raise a pint of craft beer in the mist of their ashes and declare with conviction… “I AM A CRAFT BEER DRINKER”.

For more information on this subject, check out Melissa Cole’s take on Animee.

After a emotionally charged and mentally challenging week in the beer blogging realm, my psychological state of mind was, needless to say, a bit out of sorts. I forced to question the validity and relevance of my own personal brand and blog as well as reevaluate my purpose and my place in the industry.

WHY DO I BLOG ABOUT CRAFT BEER?

Why have I sacrificed stability any semblance of a normal life to advocate and promote craft beer? Why have I sacrificed my reputation in order to fight for what I believe in?

Why have I dedicated my life to being a craft beer evangelist? The answer is simple.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi.

This is why I write. This is why I advocate. This is why I live and breathe for craft beer. If, through my writing and my evangelism, I can impact the industry, ignite a revolution, and inspire and create change, my mission has been successful.

As sappy as it may sound, I advocate out of unconditional love and passion for craft beer. I love the people. I love the community. And I love the beer.

I must admit that sometimes I ask myself: Is it really worth it? After all, I make negative money running my site. Why do I spend valuable hours promoting and advocating beer, when I should be focused on finding a job? Why do I endure all the daggers, the mud-slinging, and the insults?

This morning, I was reminded WHY I do it.

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Hi Ashley! My name is Terrence Jackson, and I recently started my own blog called EleventyBeers, and I have you to thank for me finally having the inspiration to do so. I mean, it is my love for craft beer that ultimately fueled my desire, but I would never have decided to actually do it if I wasn’t a frequent reader of your site. Your blog truly sets my heart on fire for sharing the craft beer gospel, and I hope that I can touch the hearts and minds of others as you have touched mine. Thanks so much for everything you do!

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It is humbling moments like these that ground me and bring me back to my center. This is why I do what I do. I don’t do it for fame or fortune. I am not a brewer. I don’t work for a brewery (unfortunately). I cannot make an impact on the industry from that aspect of the industry. But you know what I do have? A voice. A strong and forceful voice, at that. And one that is definitely not the most popular. But, I am not focused on being loved and adored, or even liked. I want to make a difference.

The advancement and advocacy of craft beer has become my mission in life. Some of you might not agree with my personal opinions, my choices, and my particular approach to craft beer advocacy.

Since birth, my mother has drilled this quote into my head: “This above all, to thine ownself be true.”– Shakespeare.

Love me. Hate me. Feel indifference towards me. Question my validity, question my place and value in the industry. Criticize me and insult me.

But, NEVER question my intentions or my integrity or challenge my passion and love for craft beer.

_________________________________________________________________________

On a final note:

Thank you to Terrence Jackson for reminding my why I do what I do in the first place. You have become an inspiration to me as well, and I look forward to following your adventures. Best of luck with your new beer blog. Never stop living the dream, and remember this (above all): “to thine ownself be true.”

If you are a self-respecting woman and, after reading this post, you still want to drink corporate beer. Well, then. I don’t know what to think.

Today I read a post entitled: 26 Highly Suggestive Girl Beer Ads.

The author notes: “Coming up with a marketing campaign for adult beverages isn’t very hard, yet they’re almost always successful when simple rules are followed. One approach, Suggestive girl ads. They sell, really well. Here is a collection of ads from around that (for at least guys) will surely get a response in the brain, if not elsewhere…Enjoy.”

Each and every single one of the 26 advertisements objectifies women in one way or another, some being more appalling than others.Some of them made me want to vomit. Literally.

By now most of you should know that it does not take much to for my feminist side to get fired up. It is moments like these where I really believe that our progressive society is actually regressing. It frustrates me to no end to think of all the people that have fought long and hard for woman’s rights and equality, just to have them objectified by mega corporations and admen.

Part of me wonders what almost completely naked women have to do with beer sales. But then I realize, when your actual product sucks, you have to find other methods to sell it. And unfortunately, in today’s sad pathetic world, sex sells.

The difference between craft beer and corporate beer is that the actual beer sells itself. Craft beer does not need to employ the help of huge ad agencies to develop multi-million dollar ad campaigns. Craft beer does not need to objectify women and sell sex in order to sell beer. The beer speaks for itself, naked women do not.

I suppose a lot can be said for people who drink craft beer over corporate beer. Obviously, they care about WHO makes their beer, WHERE the beer comes from, and WHAT goes into their beer. They will not settle for the lowest common denominator. They refuse to be victims of marketing ploys and ad campaigns. And, most importantly, they refuse to support companies that objectify women.

I want to raise a toast to all the pink boot wearing women in the craft beer industry who are brave enough to defy female standards and work in a male-dominated industry. I want to raise a toast to all the men in the industry who support woman’s rights and refuse to stoop to the level of mega-corporations and admen. I want to raise a toast to all the people in the world who choose to support craft beer in lieu of sub-par beers made with adjuncts that use ad campaigns that objectify women.

And if you are the kind of person that likes to sit down with a corporate beer from time to time, I encourage you to re-think your purchasing behaviors and beverage choices. Especially, if you are within 100 feet of The Wench. Trust me on this, you do not want to feel my wrath.

Cheers!

There are many reasons why I don’t read women’s lifestyle magazines. Most of them insult me in some sort of fashion as well as frustrate me to no end. Same goes for a lot of the men’s lifestyle magazines. The random studies and articles completely perplex me. For someone who studied statistics and social epidemiology, the methods of research and how they analyze and determine the results make no sense at all.

In a recent internet-based article, Men’sHealth made the outlandish claim that “Americans have developed a severe drinking problem.” And by drinking problem, they are not referring to alcohol abuse. Oh no. Men’sHealth is lashing out on beverages across the entire spectrum — from waters, to sodas, to beers. The argument is that Americans consume a damaging amount of “empty calories” from what Men’sHealth considers to be unhealthy beverages.

The article details a list of the 20 Worst Drinks in America. It appears that the criteria that use to define “worst drinks” is caloric content, grams of carbohydrates, grams of sugar and alcohol content (if relevant). The organization and method in the madness behind the list is perplexing. Whereas it is completely obvious that a 2,000 calorie milkshake and drinks produced from artificial flavors and colors with obscene amounts of additive and sugars are not the healthiest beverages on the planet, the argument against craft beer is just plain ludicrous.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Alcohol, when consumed in excess, is extremely unhealthy, if not deadly. If you find yourself in this situation, here is a list of specialists who can help people with drinking problems. However, when consumed in moderation, craft beer actually has health benefits.

Men’sHealth has declared Sierra Nevada’s Big Foot the Worst Beer and Sam Adam’s Light Lager the Worst Light Beer. These allegations are farce. Both of these beers are artisanly crafted fine beverages, brewer with quality NATURAL ingredients. To put them in the same category as artificial sodas, teas, lemonades and other non-fine beverages is pretty damn ignorant.

Men’s Health called Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot “the undisputed beast of the beer jungle.” And why? Because it contains just about twice the amount of calories as most mass-produced yellow fizzy beers. They also admit that most of the calories come from its hefty 9.5% alcohol by volume content. Well, DUH. Big foot is a Barleywine. The style itself dictates a high malt content, high alcohol level, big bold, rich and flavorful beer.

Most consumers of fine beverages are not looking to drink flavorless, low quality, mass-produced products. We demand quality. We demand flavor. We will not settle for sub-par beverages.

Sure, you could consume a yellow fizzy corporate beer for less calories. But let’s be honest, anyone who is drinking mass-produced swill produced from adjunct ingredients is not drinking it for its taste. They are drinking it for the alcoholic side-effetcts (aka to get buzzed or drunk). And when it comes down to it, when it comes to total calories consumed in relation to alcohol content, there is no significant difference between drinking an adjunct lager and a barleywine. If you really want me to break it down, let us look at the numbers.

Bigfoot 12 oz. = 330 calories + 9.5% alcohol

Budweiser 12 oz. = 145 calories + 5% alcohol

In order to get the same buzz from Bigfoot, one must consume two of bottles Budweiser. Which essentially puts both drinking experiences around 300 calories — give or take 40 (and if you are worried about consuming 40 extra calories, you have issues to worry about).

Now say, you aren’t looking for the buzz. Well, for the same amount of calories in a bottle of yellow fizzy lager, you could consume half a bottle of Bigfoot. It’s called portion control. You can either consume a lot of (what I argue to be the unhealthy option) an adjunct beer made with sub-par ingredients, or you can consume a smaller amount of a craft beer made with pure ingredients. Quality over quantity, folks. What a novel concept.

And as for Men’sHealth, next time you want to make such outlandish claims and attack the craft beer industry, do some freaking research. In no parallel universe does a craft beer produced with natural ingredients and natural sugars even come close to being as unhealthy as artificial sodas made in a laboratory with chemicals or fatty milkshakes with 2,000 calories.

Viva La Beer Revolution! Cheers!

WARNING: The nature of this post is extremely subjective and controversial.

It happens all the time. Celebrities, corporate tycoons and big brands are constantly trying to put their names on EV-ER-Y-THING. If something is hot, trendy and selling like hotcakes — then you can expect many dark horses in the shadows just waiting to take a share of the market.

It is after all, the capitalist way. Smart investors and savvy business professionals are always ahead of the curve when it comes to emerging market trends.

In my opinion, this can be both good and evil.

Good is when angel investors help to get small businesses off the ground. Good is investing in a talented and passionate craft brewer who wants to open his own brewery, but does not have the capital. Good is investing in the rapidly growing craft beer industry by supporting the development of privately owned, genuine craft breweries devoted to producing high-quality craft beers with extreme care. Good is supporting the little guy — the artist dedicated to the craft of beer.

Evil is when people take advantage of market trends and arrogantly infiltrate an industry for which they obviously have no respect or true passion. Evil is vanity. And normally, the vanity and arrogance of celebrities and big brands does not affect me. Usually, I choose to ignore it. BUT when these big brand tycoons try to infiltrate and bastardize the craft beer industry, it becomes personal.

Sure there are genuine celebrities and big business folks who are actually passionate about the beverage industry and have done great things for it (i.e.: Paul Newman wines). I understand that not everyone has evil intentions. And sometimes, the marketing can be so good that it is hard to see the truth through all the bells and whistles.

Clever marketers pull the wool over peoples eyes and make them believe what they want they want them to believe. Corporate brewing companies are constantly trying to convince people with creative marketing ploys that they actually care about the art of brewing beer — all while producing low quality beers using adjunct ingredients. (i.e.: Miller’s ridiculous “Triple Hops Brewed” campaign) Clever consumers, however, can usually see through the all the bullshit.

At least these guys TRY to put out a good front.

And then, there are the arrogant marketers. These are the people who think that their brand is immortal — that they are golden and untouchable. Arrogant marketing is self-branding anything and everything as a result of one’s own vanity. Arrogant brands think that they have the Midas touch — anything they put their name on will turn to gold.

And that makes me sick.

Arrogant is saying–>

“Once in every generation a brand comes along that simply defies convention. This generation’s brand is Ed Hardy. With a cult of customers that is the envy of any brand, a fanatical celebrity following, and a worldwide marketing machine that spans more than 40 countries.

From the golden touch of Christian Audigier and the magical brush stroke of Don Ed Hardy, the Godfather of the modern tattoo.

The time has come for Ed Hardy beer. No rules. No expectations. No limitations.”

Really? I mean REALLY? Is this some sort of sick joke?

Listen, I love beer. Beer is essentially my life (aside from Ohio State football). And I’m always excited to learn about new breweries and new beers. But this, this really irritates me.

As far as I can tell, Christian Audigier could care less about beer — and I have yet to find anything to prove otherwise. All he seems to care about is putting his label on anything and everything possible. According to the website, Ed Hardy has a “Light and a Premium” beer in its line. But there is no mention of style, brewing techniques, ingredients or the actual “brewery” which produces it.

Ed Hardy beer is NOT about the beer, its about the name and the brand. MARKETING FAIL.

In my not-so-humble opinion, the last thing the beer industry needs is another corporate tycoon producing sub-par, adjunct beers and brainwashing the mass public with ridiculous marketing campaigns.

Maybe I’m just uber sensitive. Maybe I’m too much of a purist. Maybe my passion for the craft beer industry has clouded my judgement. Maybe this is actually a good thing for the craft beer industry. Maybe celebrity interest in beer will help boost the industry as a whole.

Or maybe I’m right. Maybe this sucks.

What do YOU think?

It is time to leave the dark side of corporate beer.

Listen, I understand [more than most] that the economy sucks.

Like most of the world, I cannot afford to squander my money. Heck, I don’t get a paycheck. My income is solely based on tips. I live week to week … if not day to day.

I find myself struggling to afford the luxuries I used to take for granted when the economy was stronger [and my income was more stable].

Anyone who has ever visited my “man cave” can attest that The Wench lives a very “modest” lifestyle. True story: I do not have any furniture of my own. The only electronic devices I own are a laptop, iPhone, iPod and digital camera. I own ONE piece of REAL jewelry … my gold class ring from The Ohio State University. I don’t have a collection of designer handbags or shoes.

I do have designer eyeglasses, however. I rationalize having them because they are an essential part of my “brand.”

Obviously, I am not materialistic. Even if I had the money, I highly doubt that I would make superficial and superfluous purchases. It is not in my blood.

Although I have cut back tremendously on spending my hard-earned money, I have not stopped entirely. Most of my money is spent on the “finer things in life.”

Food. Wine. Beer. Travel.

Without these key components, my life would cease to exist.

And even though I am on a tight budget, I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to spend my money on cheap, mass-produced, super low quality beer. I work hard for my money. And I will not waste it on worthless products.

Why not?

• I try not to support corporations that contribute to globalization and and world poverty.
• To me, quality is more important than quantity.
• I value my palate. And respect  my body. I will not subject my taste buds to bad beer.
• I believe in supporting the “small guy.” I want my dollar to matter. Corporate breweries brew beer strictly for profit. Craft breweries brew beer in the name of love.

BOTTOM LINE: I am a beer brat. A beer geek. A beer connoisseur. And I hate corporate beer. I think it tastes like shit. It is uncreative, uninspiring … and flavorless. Period. End of story.

Yes, I am strongly opinated on this issue. I refuse to drink corporate, regardless of how inexpensive it is. The value is NOT there. It is not worth it.

I also realize that this post may rub some people the wrong way, which is fine. My target audience is not the everyday Bud drinker.

Sam Caglione makes a really strong arguement about market share in his book “Brewing Up A Business.” He was criticized for his off-centered style of beer making and told that he would never be able to compete with any of the big dogs. Sam’s response? He was not interested in stealing market share from the corporate breweries. As with my blog, Dogfish Head is not focused on appealing to corporate beer drinkers.

(The Beer Wench: An Off-centered Blog for Off-centered People) Sorry Dogfish Head, I just couldn’t resist.

Although I am not targeting my blog towards corporate beer drinkers, I am not opposed to “recruiting” people from the dark side. In my opinion, the biggest barrier to people drinking craft beers is lack of information and education about the industry. In this economy, people cannot afford to gamble on the unknown. They are afraid to take risks. Lack of confidence in choice usually results in the failure to make a choice (also known as choice paralyzation).

How does one break through the barrier of choice paralyzation? Through education! And the ultimate source of information is peers … and the ultimate tool for exchanging information with peers is Social Media.

Enter The Wench. I may not be a beer afficianado, but I am passionate about it. There is no monetary incentive for me to tell people to drink craft beer. And I will be the first person to admit when I do not like a certain beer – even if it’s made by one of my favorite breweries. TRUST is extremely important to me. I promise to always be honest with my readers, regardless of the repercussions.

My palate is not the end all be all. I can say with utmost confidence that a good number of people will not enjoy the styles of beer that I love the most.  WHICH IS FINE, because I am not going to make people like the beers that I like. HOWEVER, I will do my best to help people find a [craft] beer that they will like.

I love playing beer Yenta.

Let The Wench help you find your perfect beer.

Please put down the Budweiser. Cheers!