Craft beer is getting woke.
Listermann Brewing Company will honor International Women’s Day for the second year in a row by releasing three different farmhouse ales brewed by women from the local community. On that day — March 8 — the brewery will be donating 10 percent of the female-brewed bottle sales and a dollar of every pint sold to Women Helping Women, a Cincinnati-based organization that supports survivors of gender-based violence with counseling and job training programs. The century-old holiday both celebrates progress toward gender equality and calls for further action.
Former taproom manager Karenna Brockman introduced the idea last year with the Riveting Rosie Hibiscus Saison. This year, marketing director Kristen Ballinger and current taproom manager Nicole Freeman have taken the reins and are excited to build on the success.
“It was one of the most packed Wednesdays we’d ever had, so I’m hoping to raise more money for Women Helping Women and get more community involvement and just have women connecting over beer,” Ballinger says.
The three styles of beer — Riveting Rosie, Call to Farms and a yet-to-be-named ale — were brewed in January during a training session led by Ballinger and Freeman that invited women from the area to learn the basics of brewing. Ten participants from various backgrounds filtered in and out throughout the six-hour process that doubled as a networking event.
“It’s such a male-dominated industry,” Ballinger says “so it’s great to get women involved.”
Listermann didn’t just rely on ladies for the brew; they also collaborated with local artists to design the bottle art. White Whale tattoo artist Jaclin Hastings drew inspiration from Rosie the Riveter when she designed the single bottle last year, but since Listermann has expanded to three recipes, Ballinger has called on more Cincinnati creatives to pitch in, including artists Katie Jaeger and Kaycie Coy.
If you can’t get enough feminist bottle art, fear not — Listermann’s got more than beer on tap. National Screen Printing will be on site to copy the bottle designs over to T-shirts. Notching the festivities up another level, Sassy Snaps photographer Amanda Reed is bringing her photobooth, stocked with props like red bandanas that pay tribute to women who’ve been chipping away at gender barriers for generations.
The love for women doesn’t stop at the bar. Listermann’s in-house food vendor, Renegade Grille, is run by Kris Buening of food truck Renegade Street Eats. After “some serious soul searching,” she quit her job, gathered help from family and friends, and built up a dream. The Grille opened in the taproom in June of last year.
The International Women’s Day party with a purpose starts at 5 p.m. March 8 at Listermann’s taproom (1621 Dana Ave., Norwood). More info: listermannbrewing.com.
