Episode 2: The Pint Glass Ceiling

 Episode 2: The Pint Glass Ceiling

Or: Why the Craft Beer Industry Still Thinks "Brewmaster" Has a Beard

Let’s talk about the pint glass ceiling — that invisible-but-oh-so-sticky layer of stale beer foam that keeps women from being taken seriously in the world of craft beer. It’s like the regular glass ceiling, but with more hops and unsolicited opinions from guys named Kyle who “used to homebrew in uni.”

Craft beer has come a long way — the labels are artsy, the brews are experimental, and you can’t throw a rock without hitting a man in a Carhartt apron talking about “mouthfeel.” But here’s the tea (or rather, the tart gose): beer is still a boys’ club.

You know how you can walk into a taproom, order a double IPA, and the bartender goes, “You sure?” Like you just accidentally ordered a bear trap instead of a beverage? Or when you're at a beer festival and someone assumes you’re just “tagging along with your boyfriend”? Yeah. That’s the pint glass ceiling. It’s laminated in mansplaining and smells faintly of Axe body spray and saison.

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A Brief and Boozy Herstory

Here’s what most of these brew bros forget: women were the OG brewers. Like, historically. Back in the day, women brewed beer at home as a daily necessity — like baking bread, but with a bigger payoff. In medieval Europe, the local alewife was the Beyoncé of the village. Then men realized beer made money, and suddenly brewing became a “man’s world.” How convenient.

So yeah, craft beer? Women built that. And they want it back.

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Let’s Name Drop Some Legends

While some geezers still can’t believe a woman knows her way around a taproom, there are British women who’ve been stirring the mash and shaking the industry up for years:

Jaega Wise — head brewer at Wild Card Brewery in East London, chemical engineer, CAMRA board member, beer judge, AND a BBC Radio 4 presenter. Honestly, if beer royalty existed, she’d be knighted with a cask tap.

Emma Inch — award-winning writer, audio producer, and former British Beer Writer of the Year. She makes beer sound like poetry and rage all at once.

Charlotte Cook — head brewer at Coalition Brewery and certified punk with a brewing pedigree longer than a CAMRA AGM.

Melissa Cole — yes, she’s global, but she’s London-based, and if you’ve ever Googled a beer pairing, she probably wrote the book (literally: “Let Me Tell You About Beer”).

Lotte Peplow — UK-based rep for the US Brewers Association and one of the key voices linking British drinkers with craft brews from across the pond.

These women aren’t tokens. They’re leaders. Innovators. The ones pouring the pints and rewriting the narrative.

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But the Struggle Is Real

Despite all that, the average woman working in beer still gets:

Called “sweetheart” while explaining fermentation temps.

Asked if she’s “into IPAs, though?”

Given unsolicited “beer education” by men who can’t pronounce “Gueuze.”

Meanwhile, Chad — whose only qualification is that he once wore a brewery shirt to a BBQ — is leading the tasting tour.

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Smashing the Pint Glass Ceiling (With Style)

Here’s what’s happening now, and it’s glorious:

All-women beer collabs — creating beers that don’t just taste good, but raise hell and visibility.

Beer festivals just for the gals — where you can sip a barrel-aged stout without hearing, “You’d probably prefer the peach one.”

Female-led beer clubs, TikToks, blogs, and brew crews — serving hops and hot takes.

And guess what? The industry’s taking notice. Because you can’t ignore women who are not only drinking the beer — but brewing it better.

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Final Sip

So, to the women who are behind the bar, behind the tanks, behind the brands — and definitely in front of the taps: we see you. You’re not just part of the craft beer scene. You are the scene.

And to everyone else: next time a woman orders a barrel-aged imperial stout with a 12% ABV, don’t ask if she knows what she’s doing. Ask if you can keep up.

Cheers to cracking the pint glass ceiling — one bold, badass, beer-loving woman at a time.