On Tuesday 11th February, Castle Rock and Thornbridge teamed up to brew ‘Are We There Yet?’ – a dark coffee mild celebrating International Women’s Day. The beer will be available in Castle Rock pubs and beyond from International Women’s Day on Saturday 8th March. Or for the chance to try it first, join us for the special pre-launch at the Canalhouse on Thursday 6th March, with music from Chloe Rodgers and more! Read on for more information on our open brew day and launch event…
For the past four years, Castle Rock Brewery has proudly participated in International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day. IWCBD is a growing celebration of the achievements of women in the brewing industry (in an industry, like other STEM fields, that is traditionally dominated by men). It’s an opportunity for women to come together and brew a beer in celebration of International Women’s Day. Brewing in early February allows us to coincide the launch of the beer with International Women’s Day on March 8th. More about our IWD plans below!
At its heart, IWCBD champions the contributions of women working in the beer industry, from the brewers themselves, to those in the business and/or on the pub side of the trade. The event attracts not only seasoned professionals but also beer enthusiasts eager to learn about the brewing process.
This year, we were thrilled to collaborate with our friends from Thornbridge Brewery.
Alice and Laura, two brewers from Thornbridge, together with Danny, our resident recipe development expert, devised a distinctive coffee mild, aptly named ‘Are We There Yet?’. The name was chosen not only to capture the spirit of the day, but also the momentum of the ongoing movement to elevate women in the sector. It was inspired by this year’s International Women’s Day campaign theme, “Accelerate Action.”
The brew day itself kicked off bright and early, with the team gathering at 7.30am – coffee in hand, courtesy of Stewarts of Trent Bridge, who provided the very same coffee featured in the brew. Participants – both industry professionals and enthusiastic beer lovers – had the opportunity to get hands-on with the brewing process, with Alice, Laura, and Matt, our head brewer, guiding the first group through the mashing-in process all the way through to taking readings in the laboratory.
Brewery tours led by our head brewer Jon also ensured that attendees had a thorough, immersive experience… Watch this space for a spurt of new brewery start ups!
The beer supports another meaningful cause, with a portion of proceeds from ‘Are We There Yet?’ earmarked for Nottingham Women’s Centre. This year, as with previous editions, 10p from every pint sold will go directly to the charity, which provides vital services for women in the local community. We are very grateful to Wez from NWC for talking us through the Centre’s invaluable work on the day. The services NWC provide and the causes they campaign for, demonstrate, to quote Wez, that no – we aren’t there – yet. But thanks to charitable organisations like NWC and initiatives like IWD, gender equality is firmly on the agenda.
Learn more about Nottingham Women’s Centre here. NWC also have a jam-packed calendar of events and courses, including their own International Women’s Day celebration!
Other activities on the day were provided by Steph from Murphy & Son and Lucy from Let’s Beer.
Steph from Murphy’s led interactive malt tasting workshops for our volunteer brewers. Attendees ended up with their own malt tea, which used a mix of malt included in the grist for ‘Are We There Yet’. Apart from being highly educational, we got to enjoy the smell of warm wort, the perfect start to any morning! It also provided an excuse to tell one of our favourite anecdotes… the malt used in Elsie Mo is what gave the beer its name. Low Colour Marris Otter, or, ‘L.C.M.O.’
Lucy from Let’s Beer also hosted a series of guided beer tasting sessions. We compared cask to keg, low ABV to high, and Castle Rock to Thornbridge!
Beers included:
Thanks so much to both Steph and Lucy for the fantastic sessions throughout the day.
We’re looking forward to the official launch of Are We There Yet? on 6th March, when we will celebrate both the beer and the spirit of International Women’s Day at a special event at the Canalhouse.
Everyone is welcome to the evening which will feature a ‘pay what you feel’ gig by Chloe Rodgers & band, with all proceeds donated to Nottingham Women’s Centre. We hope you’ll join us in supporting this important cause and enjoying a taste of the collaborative spirit that makes IWCBD so special!
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