A FORGOTTEN GOLDEN AGE
According to an article from the Smithsonian Institution, way back in the day, almost all beer was brewed by women, referred to as ‘Alewives’. That was until the 16th century in Europe, when religious intervention shaped gender norms, doing so by pushing and stigmatising the idea of witchcraft. And this is where things get really interesting.
Not only did females make up the majority of those producing and selling beer, but a lot of the symbols we still recognise today of witches may actually stem from here. Women would sell beer at markets, stirred in large cauldrons. To help them stand out in these crowded spaces and make themselves easily recognisable, they wore long, pointed hats. Brooms were used as signs to indicate houses selling beer, as well as to sweep away loose grain so as not to attract vermin. In fact, this was the same reason that witches, I mean, brewers often had cats: to ward off mice.
Some of you might remember the Hazy IPA we did a few years ago, which featured a purple cat stylised in witchy design. We didn’t realise at the time, but with this beer and its distinct decal, we were apparently paying homage to linked traditions that have largely been overlooked.