Women drinking during the Prohibition era. It seems the atavistic belief that men know beer and women prefer wine has always rung true amongst circles of beer producers.
However, while recent industrial trends indicate that beer attracts a predominantly male consumer pool, the historical participation of women in brewing practices actually remains an influential aspect of beer's heritage.
“Brewster” is the correct term for a woman who brews beer, and archeological evidence strongly suggests that brewsters oversaw the invention of beer over ten thousand years ago.
Historians once considered the exact location marking beer's origin to be ancient Babylon, Sumeria and Egypt. However, newer studies have found that women belonging to Stone Age tribes in the Amazon basin had access to the necessary brewing components that still are used today.
Regardless of where beer originated specifically, both the nutritional value and mood altering effects of their beer prompted early man to forsake his nomadic lifestyle and settle into villages, one of the most important milestones in human history.
As the inventors of a critical staple in early mankind's diet, the female brewsters across the globe and in a myriad of ancient cultures were revered by society.
Predating the birth of Christ by four thousand years, brewsters known as “Sabtiem“ in Babylon and Sumeria were thought to interact with deities. Goddesses guided the Sabtiem during brewing rituals, a practice only carried out by the sacred brewsters.
Beer was also an important cultural product for the ancient Egyptians, whom exported their beer all throughout the known world. Hieroglyphics describe a variety of Egyptian beers, which were almost exclusively made and sold by women.
Much later on, women acted as brewsters in the taverns of medieval Europe, providing a vital component of the average man's diet.
Only in the late 18th century did the household art of brewing transition into a male-dominated business focused on large-scale production.
Despite the beer industry's shift into a male-oriented sphere, modern trends in the craft beer market show a significant increase in female consumers. Craft beer sales have doubled over the course of six years partly due to patronization from women between the ages of 25 and 34.
Given the number of women breaking into the craft beer scene, brewers are beginning to shy away from gender-specific marketing practices. Although macro beer producers still focus advertising primarily on men, over 2,300 craft breweries in the United States are opting to pursue inclusive marketing techniques that will appeal to men and women alike.
However, while recent industrial trends indicate that beer attracts a predominantly male consumer pool, the historical participation of women in brewing practices actually remains an influential aspect of beer's heritage.
“Brewster” is the correct term for a woman who brews beer, and archeological evidence strongly suggests that brewsters oversaw the invention of beer over ten thousand years ago.
Historians once considered the exact location marking beer's origin to be ancient Babylon, Sumeria and Egypt. However, newer studies have found that women belonging to Stone Age tribes in the Amazon basin had access to the necessary brewing components that still are used today.
Regardless of where beer originated specifically, both the nutritional value and mood altering effects of their beer prompted early man to forsake his nomadic lifestyle and settle into villages, one of the most important milestones in human history.
As the inventors of a critical staple in early mankind's diet, the female brewsters across the globe and in a myriad of ancient cultures were revered by society.
Predating the birth of Christ by four thousand years, brewsters known as “Sabtiem“ in Babylon and Sumeria were thought to interact with deities. Goddesses guided the Sabtiem during brewing rituals, a practice only carried out by the sacred brewsters.
Beer was also an important cultural product for the ancient Egyptians, whom exported their beer all throughout the known world. Hieroglyphics describe a variety of Egyptian beers, which were almost exclusively made and sold by women.
Much later on, women acted as brewsters in the taverns of medieval Europe, providing a vital component of the average man's diet.
Only in the late 18th century did the household art of brewing transition into a male-dominated business focused on large-scale production.
Despite the beer industry's shift into a male-oriented sphere, modern trends in the craft beer market show a significant increase in female consumers. Craft beer sales have doubled over the course of six years partly due to patronization from women between the ages of 25 and 34.
Given the number of women breaking into the craft beer scene, brewers are beginning to shy away from gender-specific marketing practices. Although macro beer producers still focus advertising primarily on men, over 2,300 craft breweries in the United States are opting to pursue inclusive marketing techniques that will appeal to men and women alike.
 Siduri, a wise alewife from Sumerian myths. |  Hieroglyphic illustration of female pouring beer. |  Female brewster, circa 1000 A.D. |
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