Ever heard of Ninkasi, the Sumerian Goddess of Brewing? March is Women's History Month and the history of Women in Beer is as deep and rich as your favourite stout.
Here are 5 Facts About Women in Beer:
•Ninkasi is the Sumerian goddess of brewing and her hymn, The Hymn to Ninkasi dating to 1800 B.C. ancient Mesopotamia, both praises the Goddess and is an ancient recipe for beer.
•In ancient Egypt, brewing was a domestic deed done mainly by women and ancient Egyptian goddesses were an important part of the brewing process. The Goddess Hathor was the “inventress of brewing” and a yearly festival celebrated her drunkenness!
•12th-century Hildegard von Bingen, considered a Patron Saint of Beer, has been noted for documenting the first benefits of hops for their “healing, bittering, and preserving” properties.
•In 14th-century England with the European Inquisition in full swing, being an Alewife with an intimate knowledge of how plants and herbs mixed together to nurture, heal and intoxicate was real-life risky business.
Anti-Witch propaganda tapped into the Alewife's traditional symbols to vilify and deem the independent women helpers of Satan: -Pointy Hats were worn by Alewifes so they could be spotted in crowded public markets
-A Broom Stick over the door was a sign of being "Open For Business" and cauldrons of boiling wort could be found outside
-Cats were around to chase away grain-eating mice
-Six Sided Stars indicated the purity of a beer, with each corner representing Water, Hops, Grain, Malt, Yeast and the Brewer
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