A Woman’s Brew

In this episode of A Woman’s Brew, we head to Bristol to chat with Kezia and Rosie from Bristol Beer Factory about their 2026 International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day beer, Cowgirl Supernova. Rosie, one of BBF’s female brewers, and Kezia from the marketing team talk us through how the brewery handed the reins over to the women of the company to design the beer from the ground up—from recipe to branding. The result? A rebellious...

In this prehistoric party of a Bucket List Beers episode, we finally get stuck into the iconic Sue line-up from Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. — starting with the legendary Pseudo Sue before levelling up to King Sue. While only one of them officially makes it into the bucket list books, we couldn’t resist putting both (okay… three) to the test. From that unmistakable Citra burst in Pseudo Sue — all juicy citrus, mango and soft malt s...

In this special Valentine’s Day episode of A Woman’s Brew, we’re celebrating love in all its forms—romantic, platonic, and definitely beer-related! We dive into how to craft the perfect beer pairing for a romantic date night, from selecting the ideal flight to sharing a few heartwarming (and hilarious) stories about how beer has played a role in our relationships. Whether it’s a love for beer, breweries, or even our favourite beer-...

In this episode of A Woman’s Brew, we’re officially dusting off the crystal ball and looking ahead to what beer might look like in 2026. Fresh off a reset—new goals, new microphones, and a renewed sense of purpose—we dig into why now feels like the right moment to talk trends. With lagers in our glasses, we reflect on the state of the industry, the post-COVID reality for breweries, and why stories of decline don’t tell the full pic...

In this episode of A Woman’s Brew, we’re calling last orders on 2025 and raising a glass to a fresh start in 2026. We chat through our end-of-year rewind, reflecting on what was a surprisingly huge year for the podcast, even when life, travel, and work got wildly busy. From rethinking how we structure our wrap-ups (goodbye quarterlies, hello half-years) to acknowledging just how high a bar we accidentally set for ourselves, this ep...

In this Bucket List Beer episode, we finally sit down with one of the most talked-about and divisive classics in the beer world: Duchesse de Bourgogne. From the very first pour, this conversation becomes as much about ritual and anticipation as it is about flavour — from glassware choices and careful bottle-conditioned pours to the (very real) emotional impact of not having the right cheese to hand. We talk honestly about why this ...

In this festive episode of A Women’s Brew, we dive head-first into the most chaotic and comforting corner of Christmas: Quality Street, Roses, Heroes, Celebrations… and the Vault City beers inspired by them. We kick things off by sorting ourselves into our “chocolate houses,” reminiscing about the glory days of Woolworths pick-and-mix, and fiercely debating which sweets truly count as Christmas classics. Along the way, we discover ...

In this episode of A Woman’s Brew, we’re joined by the brilliant Lucy and Lizzy of Closet Brewing—Scotland’s only openly queer-owned brewery. We chat about their journey from literally brewing in a cupboard in their Leith flat to becoming a fast-growing, award-winning brewery known for bold flavours, community focus, and killer artwork. From exploding fermenters at 3am to DIY mash tuns crafted from Tesco coolers, the pair share the...

We’re back! We finally reunite after a whirlwind of holiday travel, festivals, and award ceremonies! In this bumper November catch-up (or “Novembeer,” as we’ve christened it!), we catch you up on our latest globe-trotting escapades in Germany, the US, and Japan. We celebrate some massive milestones—like Joanne winning Beer Communicator of the Year at the Women in Beer Awards and being shortlisted for 2 British Guild of Beer Writers...

In this episode, we’re cracking open a true bucket-list classic: Allagash White. We share our personal history with this iconic Belgian-style witbier—how we’ve somehow managed to drink loads of it over the years without logging it on Untappd, the memories it brings back for both of us, and the pure joy of that first coriander-and-orange-kissed sip. From flipping the can to “rouse the yeast,” to admiring that unmistakable milky shee...

It’s our 5th birthday! 🎉 In this episode, we’re raising a glass (or five) to celebrate five years of A Woman’s Brew. From our very first chat about Burnt Mill and women head brewers, to 243 episodes, 73 interviews, countless styles explored, and more pumpkin spice beers than we probably should admit—we’re looking back at the journey with plenty of laughter and a few stats that even surprised us. Along the way, we share memories of...

This week we’re putting on our lab coats and goggles for a true beer geek adventure—yeast experiments! We cracked open a special set of four collaboration beers from Elusive, UnBarred, and Lallemand, each brewed with the same malt and hops but fermented with different yeast strains. To help us navigate the science (and keep us from bumbling our way through too many Google searches), we’re joined by the brilliant Alix from Lallemand...

This week, we’re back with our old friend Jaipur IPA—but with a twist (or three)! Since it’s Jaipur’s anniversary, Thornbridge have released some special variants, and of course we had to try them. We’ve got Hazy Jaipur, Pink Grapefruit Jaipur, and Jaipur Faith (a collab with Northern Monk) lined up, and we’re sharing our thoughts, tasting notes, and plenty of laughs along the way.

We’ll also dig into what actually makes a beer haz...

This week on A Women’s Brew, we’re geeking out over one of the most fascinating bits of brewing heritage — the Burton Union system — and sharing how Thornbridge Brewery has rescued part of it for a new chapter in Bakewell. We kick things off with some quality sticker chat, a Queer Brewing shirt reveal, and the story of our very mismatched bottle openers before cracking open two Thornbridge beers brewed on their very own “Thornbridg...

In this hilarious and heartwarming episode of A Woman's Brew, Tori and Joanne welcome back fan-favourite Tom Bacon for a deep dive into the quirks and charms of Northern British pub culture. From the legend of the meat raffle to the mystery of why every walk to and from a Sheffield pub is somehow uphill, Tom shares his encyclopaedic and entertaining knowledge of pub traditions, language oddities, and cask beer etiquette. Expect tal...

It’s time for another quarterly catch-up on A Woman’s Brew, where we dive deep into our beer journeys and reflect on the highs, lows, and chaos of the past three months. We embrace the spirit of imperfection and decide what goals are serving us and which we should Marie Kondo!

We share the latest on our evolving beer goals, tracking progress against ever-expanding spreadsheets and the ever-challenging Untappd style checklist. Get...

In this episode of A Woman’s Brew, we look at our next bucket list beer and take a deep dive into one of the UK’s most influential beers: Thornbridge’s Jaipur. Celebrating 20 years of this modern classic, we crack open both the original Jaipur IPA and its alcohol-free sibling, to see if the peak beer of the Peak District still holds up. Expect honest tasting notes, thoughts on what makes Jaipur such a fridge staple, and plenty of l...

It’s time for another dive into the Question Jar! (or should we say, the Tell-All Tankard?) In this episode, Tori and Jo catch up after a hectic week, cracking open a couple of colourful beers—including one that turns your tongue blue—and sharing what’s been going on in their lives. From Aussie Schwarzbiers to imperial gelato sours, there’s plenty of tasting chat and spontaneous tangents sparked by what’s in our glasses. Also: plus...

This week we are chatting to Mirella Amato – the most qualified beer judge in Canada!  Mirella not only has a wealth of knowledge from her experience in the beer industry and a multitude of qualifications, she has also literally written the book on it!

We chat to Mirella about her journey in beer so far and her work with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) in creating their new beer qualifications.  She gives us her tips...