Female-run microbrewery celebrates "witching" history

Описание: (6 Oct 2018) LEADIN:
A female-run microbrewery in Reykjavik is adding some female representation to Iceland's male-dominated beer scene.
Lady Brewery is even delving into the history of female beer-making, exploring its connections to black-hatted, cauldron-stirring witches.
STORYLINE:
Hard at work. At this brewery in Reykjavik, Thorey Bjork Halldorsdottir and Ragnheidur Axel Eyjolfsdottir are busy bottling their latest batch of 'First Lady.'
The two friends didn't set out to start a microbrewery, they originally planned to concoct a perfume.
But decided brewing beer might be more fun. In October last year they founded a microbrewery, naming it - Lady Brewery.
"Because we are women, brewing beer, that was amazing," says Halldorsdottir, who runs a design studio.
"And we didn't understand, in the beginning we were like; 'We're just making beer, what are you on about? You know, why is this so...'
"And then, obviously, what we found out that we were only a couple of women in Iceland making beer."
After laughing over a bubbling brew, Halldorsdottir and Eyjolfsdottir began exploring the history of female beer-making.
That led them to discover how during the Middle Ages, beer brewing was often seen as a "woman's job," along with other kitchen chores.
So-called "ale wives" were known to labour over large, bubbling black cauldrons. They're thought to have worn tall black hats to stand out in busy marketplaces, when selling their alcoholic produce.
But when beer brewing switched to become a male-dominated profession, ale wives were tarnished with negative, witch-like comparisons.
Thus, the stereotypical witch-like appearance, often seen at Halloween parties, was created.
"When we started to research it, we stumbled on it that this was the women's job, and the connection and the symbolism between beer making and witches, and those ale wives - the old ones - are just the Halloween witches," says Eyjolfsdottir.
Embracing the history of female beer brewing, the two began experimenting with untraditional, herby ingredients - such as meadowsweet - and including witch-themed designs in their packaging.
A special 'Seafarer' beer was flavoured with angelica root, seeds and peaches.
"We started to use that type of symbolism in our labelling and also in ingredients that we were using, we would research," says Eyjolfsdottir.
The two are now enjoying the fruits of their labour.
Their first and signature beer - naturally named 'First Lady' - a hoppy, American-style IPA, is sold throughout Reykjavik, in about 20 different bars.
"Since we started, we are getting so many emails and phone calls (from) women who want to brew and they're asking if we can teach them, or if they can follow us for a day or something," says Halldorsdottir.
Beer has been legal in Iceland for just 29 years. Strict prohibition laws on beer were lifted in 1989.
In recent years, the country's craft beer scene has exploded.
Einstok Beer Company, based in Akureyri, north Iceland, is probably the country's most successful craft brand. It's sold in several European countries, plus the United States and China.
Olafur Thorvaldz from Aegisgardur brewery says two years ago, only eight Icelandic breweries attended the country's annual national beer festival. This year, there were 26.
"In 2007, there were only produced lagers, we didn't produce any ales and beer was illegal until 1989," he says.
"So, beer's only been legal for 29 years and we have only been making basically craft beers for about ten to eleven years. So, the growth of the industry has been immense and completely rapid and surprising."

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