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player ready...When Raiye Rosado hosted a Pink Boots Society collaboration brew day in February 2020 at Rabid Brewing, she had no idea it would stir such mixed feelings in retrospect.
“It was awesome,” she said. “It was also kind of sad. It was almost like the last day to have fun around here.”
Rosado, who co-owns the brewery in Homewood with her husband, Tobias Cichon, had to shut Rabid down the following month along with most other establishments as the state’s first major wave of COVID-19 restrictions went into effect. Much of the year that has followed for Rabid has revolved around adapting to take home sales, utilizing an outdoor “beer field” when the weather allows and missing out on the camaraderie that typically defines the world of brewing.
Rabid’s taproom is set to reopen Friday, but when Rosado stepped into Sew Hop’d in Huntley on Feb. 16 to help brew this year’s Pink Boots Society collaboration, it was awesome for different reasons. It was the first time many of the women — representing from Dovetail, Miskatonic, Skeleton Key, Oswego, MORE, Dry City, Church Street and Brother Chimp — had been in the same room in a year.
“This year was very exciting,” Rosado said.
The women braved a snowstorm to get to Sew Hop’d, this year’s host, to brew a hoppy American wheat ale they dubbed Peaches and Her — a reference to the musical group Peaches and Herb — with a label that leans into a 1970s disco theme. It was released Friday in celebration of International Women’s Day, March 8, at Rabid and the other participating breweries.
“It’s hugely important,” Rosado said of the collaborative effort. “Sometimes, I can’t believe it’s a novelty still to be a woman in the industry, but it is a wonderful opportunity to go from feeling nervous to knowing peers and mentors.”
This year’s beer was brewed using the Pink Boots Blend of hops created in conjunction with Yakima Chief Hops, including Cashmere, Ahtanum, Citra, Loral and Sabro varieties. Shana Solarte, a Chicago chapter leader for the Pink Boots Society, said those hops naturally brought out a “fruit and peach-heavy” profile.
The idea from there, Solarte said, was to make a seasonal beer that’s “crushable and easy to drink, because we’ve all just been in the doldrums this year.”
Rosado said the “peaches” part of Peaches and Her was a reference to the beer’s profile, while “her” was a nod to Vice President Kamala Harris, whose inauguration was around the time of planning. Rosado said it was important to recognize the achievement.
“It was such an exciting thing to see that representation,” Rosado said.
Pink Boots Society is a global nonprofit dedicated to celebrating and supporting women in brewing. The unique hops blend its members vote to create each year for the collaboration is also available commercially and to home brewers. A portion of the proceeds benefit scholarship funds. Those scholarships help women in brewing attend seminars, classes, certifications and tours to further their education, according to the society. Since 2018, more than $257,000 has been raised through sales.
Solarte said that money helps break down barriers in the industry for women. But the organization also works as a support system in a field where women have been underrepresented in comparison to the men, she said. In a typical year, that would mean in-person educational seasons once a quarter, plus happy hours to bring everyone together.
“I think Pink Boots is important because of the built-in networking,” Solarte said. “That’s one of the nicest parts about it.”
The brew day itself looked a little different than in years past, with social distancing measures in place. In comparison to the prior two years Rosado took part in the project, she said they relied a lot more on Google Meets.
“Our collaboration process was just very different,” she said.
But Solarte is hoping they can get back to something closer to normal soon, as the Pink Boots Society tries to grow its Chicago chapter.
“We’re here, and we want to have fun,” she said. “I have really high hopes for the next year.”
Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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