If you need another excuse to drink beer, we’ve got a good cause for you. Women from eight North Fork breweries are banding together to highlight their strength and ingenuity and brew a beer for Women’s Month.
They call themselves the Lady Brewsters, a collective of women from the management, sales, marketing, hospitality and production sides of Eastern Front Brewing Co., Greenport Harbor Brewing Co., Jamesport Farm Brewery, Long Ireland Beer Co., North Fork Brewing Co., Peconic County Brewing Co., Tradewinds Brewing Co., and übergeek Brewing Co.
This tradition started last year with proceeds from the beer sales going to Family Service League. This year the proceeds will go to Empowerment Collaborative of Long Island (ECLI), a women-founded trauma-focused agency that provides services to survivors of abuse, human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, incarceration, homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness, poverty and gang and community violence.
This year’s beer is a guava and orange blossom honey IPA named “Fragile Like A Bomb” and will use local hops from North Fork Brewing Company’s own hopyard.
“As spring starts to emerge and the days grow longer, the season gives way to cravings for juicier flavors and the buzzing of new energy,” said Catie Callaghan, cellar woman of Bedell Cellars and formerly of Greenport Harbor Brewing Company. “The refreshing and delicate taste of guava, the floral allure of orange blossom honey and utilization of carefully chosen complementary hops are a perfect reflection for the transitional season.”
Along with Callaghan, the women leading the brew and developing the recipe are Michelle Demetillo, hospitality and community manager at North Fork Brewing Company, and Sheila Malone, tasting room and events manager at Long Ireland Beer Company. The name for the beer was inspired by the use of guava, a Mexican fruit, and a quote by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, “Not fragile like a flower, fragile like a bomb.”
“When I entered the industry a few years ago, I looked at the women in it and really admired and respected them,” said Demetillo, who initially had the idea for the Lady Brewsters last year. “We work hard to make sure we are heard and acknowledged. Some of us are lucky enough to be seen and feel valued as equals, but it’s not always the case in a male-dominated field. We have so much to offer, and I wanted to empower and connect with this community and show that we are a force for good.”
The label for this beer, which is set to be released on draft and in cans on April 9 in all participating breweries, will feature the art of North Fork women artists Kara Hoblin and Verona Peñalba. Throughout the next few months, the breweries will also host events to celebrate the release of “Fragile Like A Bomb.” To keep up with the Lady Brewsters, follow them on social media and head to their website.
