A Beer They Made is a collaborative project started by our very own Renée Parr (they/them) and by Kat Michaud (they/them) of Nod Hill Brewery in Ridgefield, CT, with the goal of raising awareness about trans, non-binary and gender-fluid folks working within the beer industry. After months of virtual planning, resource gathering, chamomile sniffing, and a road trip up to our Ossington brewery for Kat, we are so pleased to share A Beer They Made with you.

From Renée: “Community building is a passion of mine. My vision for this project was about connecting non-cis people in the industry, but also bringing attention to the lack of understanding of gender identity and expression. Understanding this would help support diversity in the industry, and create warmer spaces for those who need it. I reached out to my dear friend Kat, a non binary/queer brewer in Connecticut, to get this ball rolling with me. We are hoping this will be the first of many brews, creating bridges between the trans/non binary community making beer happen, and a strong, genuine ally-ship with everyone in the industry. We have included a local queer/trans/non binary/two-spirited artist and business spotlight, as well as gender affirming care and training resources.” Find that list here. 

Now that you know the spirit of the project, let’s talk about the beer! Each brewery made a variation on a theme of light summer-certified ales ft. Loral and Grungeist hops. Ours is a deliberately crushable Pale Ale brewed with chamomile from Pluck Teas and tastes like a summer Sunday afternoon. Kat and their team opted to brew with saison yeast and left the chamomile in the tea cupboard for their version. 

Bellwoods has donated $2000 to The 519— a City of Toronto agency committed to the health, happiness, and full participation of 2SLGBTQ+ communities — and a portion of proceeds of Nod Hill’s version will also go to Loft LGBTQ+.

Does this seem like something you’d like to be involved with in the future? Reach out at community@bellwoodsbrewery.com.

Allergens: Barley, Oats