While online beer communities have made huge strides to support the industry and forge connections and friendships, they can also be toxic environments. Rarely a week goes by when I don’t see people trolling, and having been on the receiving end of it myself multiple times. I wondered why something as inherently joyful as beer could attract so much hate.
Based in North Carolina, LaShanda is Taproom manager at Little Brother Brewing Barrel & Bottle in Graham and the assistant brewer and cellarperson at Joymongers in Greensboro. As a mother and Woman of Color, she wants to empower other BIWOC moms out there who have a passion for beer to learn about the craft and enjoy it among others with the same interests. One of LaShanda’s goals is to open her own bottleshop.
O’Meara is a storyteller, and the fun, gossipy vignettes that pepper Girly Drinks enhance the book’s readability for those outside the drinks industry and for those who may not usually pick up a work of feminist drinks history.
The beer industry has a long history of using the femme body as a sales tactic. For those in power (white cis-het men) both beer and women’s bodies are objects of consumption. Whether it’s conscious or not, using the femme body makes a beer more sellable.
Where you source your gift is nearly as important as who you’re giving it to. So this holiday season, we all have the opportunity to make our holiday gift-giving mean something more. These are not things; these are not just cans of beer or t-shirts; these gifts are people, causes, non-profits, and organizations that are dedicated to crafting a better beer industry for all. One might say, for EVERYONE.
Uplifting people, non-profits, breweries, and organizations are changing the craft beer industry with their unique ability to directly support the issues, causes, and people affected. Support them this #GivingTuesday.
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we’re amplifying Native American Breweries you can support all year long and highlighting the story of beer brewed by Indigenous peoples long before any colonizers crossed the Atlantic.