9th Annual Pink Boots Blend

9th Annual Pink Boots Blend Now Available

This year’s Pink Boots Blend selection marked a meaningful return to chapter-driven involvement, and for those who participated, it was a powerful and inspiring experience. Hosted by the Boston chapter of the Pink Boots Society, the hands-on hop selection event brought together roughly 30 attendees, including members from New Hampshire, Maine, New York, Connecticut, Washington, DC, and Washington state.

Hosted by Mighty Squirrel at their Fenway location in Boston, the event gave attendees a rare, hands-on opportunity to experience hop selections, something many brewers aren’t able to do in person on the farms.

The event reinforced a sense of community during an otherwise challenging time for the industry. “Yakima lives in people’s minds, but bringing that world to us reminds brewers where their ingredients truly come from and opens the door to deeper collaboration,” said Sarah Real, owner of Hot Plate Brewing Company and Pink Boots Society Board Member. “Opportunities like these help women and non-binary brewers to get experience, to be part of something different, something they may not have access to.”

Erika Anderson, Marketing Manager for Spyglass Brewing Company and Boston Pink Boots Society Chapter co-leader, agrees, “The Pink Boots Blend helps create pathways for leadership and recipe development that may not otherwise exist.” She also commented on the remarkable balance of this year’s blend and underlined the hometown pride her chapter experienced when it was announced they would host the blend creation, “We were proud to bring this home, proud to say, ‘We are Boston, we are part of this’.”

The Pink Boots Society is a community brought together by curiosity, collaboration, and the desire to uplift women and non-binary professionals across every corner of the industry, and the future is constantly evolving.  Having expanded beyond beer and into broader fermentables and beverages, Pink Boots members are embracing a broader range of projects, from nano batch brews to hop-infused hot sauces to bitters, allowing more flexible ways for breweries and members to participate.

For many members, the blend has become a symbol of creative ownership, an annual invitation to step into spaces where their voices haven’t always been heard, build confidence in their craft, and take part in something distinctly their own. “As the industry shifts, the Pink Boots Blend gives producers of every size a way to stay creative and stay connected. It’s not about the scale of participation, it’s about the commitment to keep innovating together,” said PBS Executive Director, Georgina Solis. “Its impact reaches far beyond flavor; it strengthens the entire industry and contributes to professional development for women and non-binary talent.”

Hop Selection in Yakima is an experience many brewers never get access to, making the opportunity to bring selection and evaluation to members especially meaningful. Lindsey Watkins co-leads Pink Boots’ Yakima Chapter and helps facilitate Hop Selection as an Inside Sales Specialist for YCH. She crossed the country for her first Pink Boots Blend hop rub, which she described as energizing and deeply connective. “It felt unifying through the different chapters and inspiring for all members involved,” she said. “It was meaningful to show up, not just representing YCH but also representing Pink Boots as a member.”

Brewers are encouraged to amplify their impact by coordinating with their local Pink Boots Chapter, engaging the women and non-binary folks throughout their organizations, or registering for a Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day. Collaboration Brew Days generate donations to local chapters, funding scholarships and opportunities within the brewing community. Learn more at pinkbootssociety.org.