Pink Boots Society
Supporting women and non-binary fermented beverage professionals through education.
The Pink Boots Society (PBS) is a non-profit organization with international membership that supports women and non-binary people working in the fermented beverages and allied industries. It started with women beer professionals and later expanded to include non-binary individuals and all fermented beverages. The organization helps members advance their careers through educational opportunities, mentorship, networking, and raising awareness of women in these male-dominated industries. PBS also teaches skills needed to become beer judges and raises money for scholarships to help women break through glass ceilings.
Quick Facts
- Formation
- 2007
- Abbreviation
- PBS
- Founder
- Teri Fahrendorf
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Pink Boots Society was founded during a 2007 cross-country trip taken by Teri Fahrendorf, documented on her blog 'The Road Brewer.' Fahrendorf had left her position as brewmaster at Steelhead Brewing Company in Eugene, Oregon, and wanted to visit breweries of her peers, brew with them, meet more brewers, and visit aging relatives. Armed with pink rubber boots gifted by her mother-in-law, she set off in June 2007 and met a surprising number of women brewers, including Laura Ulrich, Carol Stoudt, and Whitney Thompson. Meeting Laura Ulrich on June 16, 2007, became the founding date; two months later, Fahrendorf posted the original list of 60 women brewers on her blog under the headline 'Pink Boots Society' on August 5, 2007.
Reader's Guide
The Pink Boots Society's significance lies in its role as a dedicated organization for women and non-binary professionals in the fermented beverage industries, a field historically dominated by men. Its focus on education, mentorship, and networking has helped members advance their careers, and its scholarship program, funded in part by the Yakima Chief Hops Pink Boots Blend (which raised over $257,000 since 2018), directly addresses glass ceilings. The organization's evolution from a list of women brewers to a non-profit with international membership reflects the growing recognition of gender issues in the industry. PBS has also created its own events, such as Collaboration Brew Day and Bring Mom Out for a Beer, and was contacted by Sophie de Ronde to create the International Women's Collaboration Brew Day in 2013, which raises awareness and funds. The spin-off of Barley's Angels as a separate consumer education entity allowed PBS to maintain its professional focus. Its archival records at Oregon State University ensure the preservation of this history.
Did You Know?
- The Pink Boots Society was founded after Teri Fahrendorf met Laura Ulrich on June 16, 2007, during a cross-country road trip.
- The first meeting of PBS in 2008 was attended by 16 women brewers and 6 women beer writers; male beer writers were told to 'send a woman.'
- Yakima Chief Hops created a special Pink Boots Blend in 2018, with proceeds funding PBS scholarships; the program has raised over $257,000 since then.
- PBS originally included only women beer professionals but later expanded to include non-binary people and all fermented beverages.
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