MicroBrewr 028: Repaving the way for women in craft beer

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Eilise Lane drank a beer in Bend, Oregon that changed her life. After she found out that a woman made the beer, she opened Scarlet Lane Brewing Company in McCordsville, Indiana.

Scarlet Lane Brewing Company’s website:

It was at one time illegal for males to brew beer. We intend to respect that history with our beer designs, our marketing our branding, and our operations. Scarlet Lane is excited to be (re)paving the way for females in the industry…

And they certainly are repaving the way for women in craft beer. Scarlet Lane is the first woman-owned package brewery in Indiana. The investors are mostly women, and the president is also a woman. The 15-BBL system and 30-BBL fermenters at Scarlet Lane are a long way from the turkey fryer that Eilise used to cook wort in her backyard.

Eilise refers to her beers by proper name and she calls her stout her baby. She has lots of great advice such as:

Describe your beers in a way that will resonate with customers
Talk with a customer about her taste preferences to find a beer that she will like
Start talking early with hops growers and wholesalers to make sure you have access to the hops you want

Listener question:

From Orlando: How did you move from home brewing to a lager scale?

Book recommendation:

Brewing Up a Business: Adventures in Beer from the Founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery by Sam Calagione.

Check out the entire list of recommended books, click here.

An upcoming beer style:

Brown ale

Other resources:

Who Is The Craft Beer Drinker by Jay Brooks, Brookston Beer Bulletin, December 30, 2013.
A Look at Craft Beer & Women, Wine Bags.com.
I couldn’t find much on brown ales gaining popularity. So here’s the recipe for the White House Honey Brown Ale brewed in the White House with President Obama’s homebrew kit. Ale to the Chief: White House Beer Recipe by Sam Kass, The White House, September 1, 2014.
Beer Wars (2009) movie.
MASS. MARKET: FDA’s move is last call for local beer company by Jon Chesto, The Patriot Ledger, June 25, 2011.
Women, The ‘First Brewers,’ Lean into Craft Beer-Making by Kirk Siegler, NPR, October 12, 2013.
The Craft Beer Girl, Amy Ellsworth.
Beer Wench, Ashley Routson.

You can reach Eilise Lane and Scarlet Lane Brewing Company at:

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