Believe it or not, “Pink Boots” isn’t only a fashion statement in the brewhouse. It’s a global movement marked annually by the release of a special beer mostly (but not always) coinciding with International Women’s Day (March 8th, 2024). The Pink Boots Society is an American based organization with Chapters all over the world, including Canada and Alberta, and is responsible for overseeing the annual Pink Boots Brew as a larger project. Their aim is to “assist, inspire and encourage women and non-binary individuals in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry to advance their careers through education.” That takes the form of grants you can apply for, and seminars you can take part in.
The Pink Boots Brew project has taken many forms over the years, as collaborations, and event full recipe development. Probably what most people are familiar is the annual brew and beer release to help promote The Pink Boots Society. There have been many stellar beers available around this time of year that are involved in some way with the project. Last year in Alberta there were close to 40 Pink Boots beers in the market, and that number is always growing.
For the last 7 years The Pink Boots Society has created a new hop blend yearly and has then given their chapters and participating breweries free reign to create a beer of their choosing to help promote the cause. You basically end up with a wide swath of styles and interpretations that could have you trying new beers for weeks on end. For us at The Grizzly Paw, this year, our version looks like Every Night is Girls Night. A Dry-Hopped Sour loaded with Peaches and Blueberries.
The 2024 hop blend created by Pink Boots is Ahtanum, El Dorado, HBC 638, and Everybody’s favourite: Idaho 7. On paper that looks to lend itself easily to sours, but the best way to know is to try it for yourself! If you want more info on The Pink Boots Society and how to get involved the best way to start is with our chapter in Canada:
www.pinkbootscanada.com
