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Women in Beer’s next festival is set to be its biggest
Scottish beer community group Women in Beer (WiB) has announced dates for its third festival in Edinburgh which is anticipated to be its biggest.
The event, which will take place from 23-27 October 2024, will be the community’s largest festival to date, with a programme of learning and training opportunities, networking and community sessions as well as tap-takeovers showcasing beers from women who work in the sector.
This year’s festival will begin with a welcome party at Cold Town House in Edinburgh, before two days of training and conference events at The Port of Leith Distillery in the city’s whisky district.
Events will include segments such as sensory training led by Lallemand Brewing and a half-day seminar with panel discussions and talks hosted by women. In addition, the festival will also host a WSET qualification certification for the mentees part of the WiB Mentorship Programme.
Speaking about the forthcoming event, WiB founder Amélie Tassin said: “I started Women in Beer as a way of celebrating women who enjoy good beer and good company, and to support women working in the brewing industry with a community and training opportunities. An industry survey in 2023 found that only 30% of the brewing industry identified as women, with only 3% of those being brewers. Women in Beer exists to challenge that statistic, providing support and opportunities for women to meet and discuss the industry and enjoy good beer together.”
People will be able to participate in the festival across Edinburgh, as Women in Beer partners with pubs and bars in the city to showcase a selection of the best beers owned or brewed by women with a series of tap-takeovers.
The WiB ‘Big Meet-up’ will also return to the Stockbridge Tap on 26 October to officially launch the festival’s collaboration beers, brewed by: Cold Town from Edinburgh; Holy Goat Brewing from Dundee; Jump Ship Brewing from Midlothian; and Round Corner Brewing from Melton Mowbray.
Tassin added: “It’s important for us to make sure we can raise awareness with as many people as possible and not only the ones who would buy a beer festival ticket. Teaming up with pubs and bars around Edinburgh allow us to reach people who might have not known that women can also be behind their favourite drinks. Brewing collaboration beers is also a way for us to show we exist and for our members to come and experience a real brew day.”
Last autumn, the first Women In Beer (WiB) mentorship programme saw 12 women enter and sign up in a move that marked the beginning of the initiative. Then, in March this year, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) became the new education partner for the WiB mentorship programme, supporting the initiative and showing how the beer sector should share knowledge and evolve.
Tickets for the event will be on sale from 18 September via the Women in Beer website.
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