SheBrew celebrates women who brew and supports equality, organizers say

By Jeffrey Lindblom

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    PORTLAND Oregon (KPTV) — Sunday afternoon and into the evening, The Redd hosted the eighth annual SheBrew event.

The festival occurs on the first Sunday of Women’s History Month. Organizers call it a culmination of both professional and home female brewers, and event proceeds help the Human Right’s Campaign.

Jenn McPoland, a festival founder, said the event was a way to celebrate and empower women while benefiting equality.

“I mean, what else could you want?” McPoland said.

Shannon Scott, an organizer, added that part of the reason she finds it so significant is because, “we can fight that good fight for LGBTQ+ equality.”

A decade ago, McPoland said the event saw roughly 50 people, which was also a time when she was familiar with only one female brewer in the state. However, she says she has seen that change over the years.

“We had 46 brewers and cider makers from all over the PNW,” she said referencing the 2023 festival, “mostly from the Portland metro area.”

The event was described by many attendees as a positive atmosphere, where “we uplift women and we support them,” Scott said.

Jess Hardie said she’ll be opening up a tavern after the summer

“She’s done it. She’s made it. She’s paved the way. I can do that too,” Hardie said. “There’s no secrets. When you shine, I shine. That’s what I love about the community in general.”

Scott said over the years, “we’ve had homebrewers in our home brew section go on to become professional brewers.”

“This is definitely the biggest one we’ve had yet,” McPoland said. “It’s grown year over year over year.”

This year, she guessed that 1,500 people attended.

“It’s kind of like a high school reunion of sorts,” Hardie said. “Like, ‘Where are you at? Where are you brewing now? How’re you doing?’ It’s a great community that we’ve built.”

Hardie said she has dreamed of brewing professionally for seven years, and come fall, she intends to recognize that dream by opening a Dungeons & Dragons themed tavern. Which she said was inspired by her own nature of “being a nerd.”

She hopes to take people on fantastical journeys at her tavern, where she foresees people playing games armed with just the right beer in hand, “‘maybe I’m going to do a porter, maybe I’m going put some Mexican hot cocoa in it for a bit of my own spice.’”

Hardie could be the embodiment of what the event hopes to achieve, advocating for diversity and empowering women.

“It’s becoming more and more of that in beer here in Portland,” Hardie said proudly.

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