Women in brewing

I agree. I gotta stop. This stuff gets me riled up (obviously). Sorry everyone.

BeerandRaiderFan, BMitch, 5thOhio, I am happy to have these conversations via beermail. Otherwise, hit me up if you ever come to RI and let's talk about it over some brews. Cheers!

 

I disagree. It's pretty easy to tell when someone's joking, not to mention it takes A LOT to offend me. But I've called guys out before on it, and it's generally met with more hostility (and a stronger defense of the "joke.") The last time really stuck with me: some dude was commenting on a fruity beer that was (agreeably) disgusting, but said that drinking it would cause one to "spontaneously grow a vagina." After I said something (like WFH?), he was like "whatever, I won't touch that shitty chick beer."



So yeah, unfortunately, this is the kind of thing that happens - and it doesn't seem to be a joke. My favorite are the I'm-going-home-to-drink-a-stout-better-pick-up-something-girly-so-the-wife-doesn't-get-mad comments .

That said, I've met some wicked awesome people on here. And I was fortunate enough to go to a bottle-share a few months ago, with like 30 other BA dudes. They were all super sweet, and made a point to come over and talk to me/ see if I was having a good time/ etc. as I was the only chick. Those are the kind of people I try to connect with on here.

 

It depends what those "specific" challenges are. A general "well I'm colored so its tougher" doesn't work for me. I work primarily with minorities, but sometimes, the white guy had the tougher path.

Very few minority kids growing up with meth labs in their home for instance. They also have race based scholarships. Enrolled tribe members in Nevada get free tuition at the university. Free health care. Subsidized housing, electricity, heat, a gripload of cash when they turn 18 etc. . . so not everything is as slanted and tough as people make it out to be.

A guy I work with (black). . . his kid got into an Ivy League school last year (Brown). His grandfather is a great guy, district court judge. That black kid had an amazing support system of family around him. They stressed doing the right thing and never made excuses for him if he slipped up. That kid had a massive leg up in life compared to your "average" white kid.

Again, to reiterate. It depends on the specifics. I'm not going to prejudge a person's situation or work ethic based on their race, white, black or whatever. Same thing with beer. If its good, its good. No qualifications about 'who' made it. Don't care.

 

I find the discussion to be well intentioned and informative. . .and on topic, even if slightly tangentially.

We're here for the beer. Everyone is welcome. Difference of opinions are being treated respectfully. Pour me another and let's have a discussion over it! Virtual bar!

 

Doesn't bother me at all, I've just seen many threads that stayed more on the topic of beer get nuked. I was just expressing shock that the powers that be hadn't locked it down.

 

Yeah, minority kids never grow up with drugs in the home....... Are you kidding me man?

If someone goes to college because of an affirmative action policy that is not a leg up. It's not a leg up because affirmative action was instituted to right a previous wrong. That policy attempted to balance the playing field moving forward, it didn't unbalance it. The same goes for the other policies you spoke about. A native american kid getting some cash when he's 18 is an attempt (and a poor one) to balance out the fact that we exterminated his family years ago. It's not a leg up against everyone else (especially if they are descendants of people that prospered off of the extermination).

Also, did you really just use the word "colored?" I'd back off that if I were you.....

 

have you BEEN to Wisconsin ?

 

OK, so I was about to write something here on how I don't recall really reading much that is off-putting on this site, and then I read this!

Kinda like female scientists of the early-mid 20th century? They were followers darn it! They didn't have their work stolen AT ALL!!!

Early food recipes, like brewing recipes, were historically developed by women. Then men swooped down, took the recipes, made it a profession and therefore admirable/for profit, and declared that women were no longer qualified to do what they have been doing for centuries.

As you said, this was the trend of history. I find in the 21st century, things are progressively more inclusive. However, it's inaccurate to say that everyone is on equal footing. They simply aren't. Best example, the differences in pay scales for identical jobs. I've experienced that one outright. I was simply told I "wasn't worth" a salary figure (then knocked down 20%) while my husband (with IDENTICAL credentials applying to the same institution for the same job a few years later) was told he should get even more!

While I don't doubt that the vast majority of customers judge brewers solely on their product, I suspect there likely still is a glass ceiling at some breweries, where a few employers subconsciously are weary of a head brewer who doesn't "look the part".

 

Women brewing great beer for me to drink. Why the hell would I complain about that?

 

I can't believe a thread with such noble intentions got hijacked

 

Okay, I'll take it a step further then... living in my region, the Washington DC metro area, there are countless examples of women business owners, women in high-powered positions with major corporations, women in important goverment positions both federal and local (the mayor of my town and multiple members of the Board of Supervisors for the county government are all female, for instance). These aren't just my personal experiences but what is currently happening in this area. Would many of these women have achieved such high levels of success if the system was still so corrupt against them? Doubtful.

But it does bring up an interesting point, and maybe one we can reach a common ground on. Is it possible that these social indifferences are region-dependent; as in, certain areas of the country are more likely to see larger gaps in equality than others? This is why I have a hard time with some of your comments, because they simply don't apply to where I live...but on the other hand, I do realize that minority groups still don't get the same opportunities as their counterparts in other parts of the country. It's not too hard to see where the "good ol' boy" mentality still reigns supreme in certain areas.

For me, it's just the generalization that white men always have it easier that irks me. Each situation must be viewed in it's own separate light. Stating that, "Well the woman business owner obviously had to work harder than the male owner to achieve the same success" as 100% truth, all of the time, is simply not accurate.

 

You're the second person in this thread to insinuate that I haven't been to Wisconsin. You are both correct.

 

Oh right, I forgot that there's no oppression left today. Which is why women don't STILL make 77 cents on the male dollar (64 cents for African American women and 56 cents for Hispanic women). White house statement, June 4th, 2011.

Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's not there.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/legislative/sap/112/saps3220s_20120604.pdf

 

when 51% of the high power positions in your region are held by women... and only then, will there be equality.

 

So 49% = 51%?

 

A chick gets an extra 3 points on the 1-10 scale if she's an advocate. An extra 5 if she's a brewer.

 

chicks are 51% of the population, so logically, we should hold 51% of high power positions......
Reality is not nearly at that level.

 

"Would many of these women have achieved such high levels of success if the system was still so corrupt against them?"

Indeed it is still possible for such success. My words never should have given the impression that such success is impossible. Instead, my concern is with how difficult that success was to achieve.

Is it possible that these social indifferences are region-dependent; as in, certain areas of the country are more likely to see larger gaps in equality than others?

Yes. I think it does vary by region, although I don't think there are any regions where it is "extinct" so to speak.

it's just the generalization that white men always have it easier that irks me.
It's not that white men always have it easier. There are countless examples across American history of white's that struggle (look at the way Irish and Italian immigrants were treated when they came to America). What I am saying, and I can not stress enough, is that the idea that it is more difficult for minorities to achieve success doesn't necessarily mean it is easy for majorities to achieve success. There are varying degrees of challenges which all groups face. However, I do think there are a unique set of challenges that individuals from a non-dominant group sometimes face and no matter how hard a self-made white man worked, no matter how difficult it was for him (and surely, it was difficlut), he did not have to face those challenges (and those challenges are very intense).

 

I didn't notice if anyone has mentioned this female run brewery yet. I don't think they are helping their cause in any way with this marketing strategy though.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27402