Let’s be real, we should really be celebrating women every day, but there is one day a year dedicated to supporting women internationally, and there are several local breweries who choose to celebrate with a special beer, brewed by their female employees.

This industry has a long and not so pretty history of keeping women at the front of the house rather than in the brewery where decisions are often made.

Here are some of those breweries.

Broken Clock Brewing brewed up a Dark Czech Lager called Czech on Your Neighbor. This one clocks at 4.9% ABV and would be a great addition to your first spring backyard fire. They held a women’s safe defense class on Sunday along with a donation drive that sent feminine products and diapers to Community Aid Network MN in support of women in the community.

Unmapped Brewing deployed MJ and the crew to collaborate again with Base Camp Coffee for Paddle My Own Canoe with a nod to to the line in Little Women “ I’d rather be a free spinster and paddle my own canoe.”

According to the brewery, “We’ll be donating $1 from every pint of Paddle My Own Canoe to A Book of My Own, a nonprofit dedicated to getting books into the hands of children and families who need them most. The giveback continues until the beer is gone — not just on release day.”

Congrats to MJ and crew for their dedication to the cause and giving back.

Bad Weather Brewing concocted a Pear Kölsch aptly named Girl Power. Bad Weather hosted an Kölsch service on IWD where customers opened a tab and the staff came around and re-filled empty glasses. Six packs are still for sale at the brewery. Here is what brewer Jessie Skrypek had to say about the choice.

“Kölsch is a crisp, pale, beer that originated in Cologne, Germany. We chose to add pear to complement the subtle fruitiness attributed from the yeast and El Dorado hops. It is a refreshing beer for the spring to celebrate Women around the world for international Women’s day.”

Name: Girl Power

Style: Pear Kölsch

ABV: 4.6%

Malt: Rahr North Star Pilsner malt, Weyermann Pilsner Malt and Rahr White Wheat.

Hops: Saphir, Tradition, El Dorado

This is your reminder to support women in the beer industry and to advocate for equal opportunities in ownership, leadership, and brewing. Women were the original brewers of beer and we all need to defeat stereotypes and make sure that the industry continues to grow in a more equal manner.

Cheers!