“Hi Ginger –

I had the pleasure of attending your seminar at the CBC last week.  I wanted to let you know that I enjoyed that seminar more than any other I attended!  You are truly a dynamic speaker who is passionate about beer and getting women to be passionate about it too.

Thanks again for sharing your joy and enthusiasm.”

Laina McFerren

Founder, Co-Owner

Wolf Creek Restaurant & Brewing Co.

Today’s explosion of your Individual Beer Learning Plan (IBLP) focuses on People.

People: The most critical item in your IBLP, starting with you!

Besides the commitment you make to your self, who will you contact? Will they be available or interested in helping you learn? How will you approach them respectfully and mindful of their already full schedules?

Cheers to helpful beer people

Who will you call, email or otherwise meet to help you into and through the process? How will you choose people to tap into, connect with, or otherwise ask for help?

How will you make sure to thank and show appreciation to those who help you out? It’s very important that you execute timely appreciation to those who do help you out.

Yes, it may be good for the whole industry and beer community. No they aren’t obligated to help. Yes, most beer community people are happy to – if not eager – help other interested parties into the education fray. And everyone’s busy.

Be grateful in your pursuit and the beer universe will reward you nicely.

Part 1: Topics

Part 2: Tools

Part 3: Location

Part 4: Plan

Part 5: Budget

gorgeous hand blown Gathering Glass globes

Gathering Glass hosted the Women Enjoying Beer Monthly meet-up last night with a full house in attendance. Keith and Scott, the studio owners and operators, were very welcoming helpful and glad to enjoy tasting the beers and foods on the menu.

A little background: We met at a glass blowing studio because Keith and Scott generously donated 30 hand blown ornaments for a fundraising festival we were part of last year. Bringing almost 30 women to the studio to learn about them, beer glassware and do our usual tasting of 4 beers + foods was a natural fit.

LOTS of questions were asked, most we were able to cram in, some will wait until next time. There’s so much to share about beer and to have a unique host location spurs even more curiosity, which is a big part of learning.

There’s never a lack of engagement, questions, and fun at these events. If you’re a business that could benefit from a lively group of women visiting to learn about beer on a regular basis, call us. We can help you set it up for success from the start.

If you’re a female consumer who enjoys learning about beer, seek these opportunities out. We realize there are still too few to satisfy and recognize (with full respect) that women want to know more about beer. That said, ask your local establishments to put them on. Smart businesses will react.

There's Moylan's in that glass!

Here’s the menu we enjoyed:

Moylan’s generously provided beer (Thanks so much!) for the evening and we mapped out the 4 choices. As far as food went, we suggested some things from the strolling “pick the goodies you want” selection and encouraged them to mix, match and discover as well.

Beers tasted:

• Tipperary Pale Ale
• Dragoon’s Dry Irish Stout
• Ryan Sullivan’s Imperial Stout
• Old Blarney Barleywine

Having both a ‘regular’ stout and an imperial was a particular bonus. We had one after the other and attendees could experience them very close together, which is an effective learning technique.

Foods available:

Mixed nuts, yogurt covered raisins, mission figs, black licorice bites, (dried) veggie chips, animal cookies, dried cranberries, dark chocolate malted milk balls, Wasabi peas, fresh french bread, and cheeses (medium cheddar, Monterey jack, Cojack, provolone).

Swig & Stitch is the brainchild of business person, Sandi Globus, Fabric of Vision. Last night was another great session of Sandi teaching useful sewing techniques around specific projects. Interspersed in the lessons by Sandi I lead attendees through 3 different beer and food tastings and pairings.

The goal is fun and useful education for all. And the monthly events succeed smashingly! Our host is very happy to have us, it’s a perfect spot and every month we’re getting ‘veterans’ and newbies.

Here’s the menu we explored (all beers on draught):

• Guinness with roasted garlic humus and fresh carrots, celery, and slivered french bread
• Lindeman’s Framboise with fresh sliced Bartlett pears, Granny Smith apples and red grapes
• Boneyard’s Hop Venom with lightly deep-fried fresh jalapeno slices (YUM!)

Exploration and consideration are the names of this game. Go exploring yourself and discover tasty things. Doing it with friends is even better.

I’d be remiss if I neglected to thank Marti Barletta before the month was over. She’s been supportive and receptive and helpful. Marti is THEE one I go to for learning more about marketing to women.

Allow me to expound.

Marti’s book, Marketing To Women, was one of the first books I bought when I launched Women Enjoying Beer. It was fascinating, eye-opening and affirming all at once. I was no longer a lone voice in the woods – although there are still too few people who seriously even begin to understand the value, sustainability and loyal customers women can be. And the beer community at large is still in need of knowing – hence, why we keep forging ahead.

I was grateful to ‘find’ someone else in this forest of specializing in marketing to women.

Her second book, Prime Time Women, is equally helpful and “YES!” style.  In it, she talks very clearly and plainly about the fact that women in their prime time years are one of the markets for any marketer and hence business to pursue.

You can find her books here – and I recommend you buy them. I rarely give so strong of an endorsement. Marti’s due that, with a vigorous nod.

Today I want to thank her sincerely. Keep it up, Marti! Can’t wait to enjoy a beer with you again.

We’re thrilled and ecstatic (yes, really!!!) to have Emily Engdahl onboard with Women Enjoying Beer. Suffice it to say Emily’s fire, diplomacy and great enthusiasm for beer and education are a beerfect fit all around.

She’s dug into the landscape of WEB Events Development StormTrooper with great energy and zest. We’re extremely grateful and happy. Thanks for joining the business of changing culture, research, and education for WEB, Emily.

photo by Sara Szatmary

Here’s a bit more about her:

    Emily Engdahl joins WEB with 13 years of experience managing a small business dedicated to the elderly and mentally ill.
    In addition to her wide range of event coordination, conflict resolution, mediation, organizational and financial management skills, Emily’s communication and marketing experience couple with her love of beer and community for a dynamic and enthusiastic addition to our team.
    Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Emily is an avid artist, writer, and voracious reader who enjoys homebrewing, plotting her mini-farm, freelance graphic design, and making people laugh.

Do you know 31 females that you can celebrate?

I can think of dozens, all for different reasons, in many different facets of familiarity.Some I know well, some less so, some not yet (and would like to share a beer with for sure).

Here are some I celebrate today, International Women’s Day, in no particular order, with plenty more where these came from….

• My Mom
• My Sister
• My Mom-in-Law
• My Sister-In-Law
• Celia Hogan
• Emily Engdahl
• Glenda Stormes
• Maureen Ogle
• Lisa Morrison
• Julia Herz
• Olivia Cerio
• Veronica Vega
• Tonya Cornett
• Gayle Goschie
• Joy Henkle
• Eileen Dunn
• Shauna Carter
• Kim Hosford
• Ann George
• Julie Johnson
• Diane Gaston
• Kim Jordan
• Roz Savage
• Kirrily Waldhorn
• Jill Redding
• Erin Glass (and the rest of the women at the BA)
• Lauren Salazar
• Julie Wartell
• Sue Shulters
• Stevie Caldarola
• Angela T Sansone
• Joy Bray
• Karolina Wyszynska
• Kristin Muraro
• Holly Zabka
• Angela Arp
• Chris Crabb
• Bernadette Wasdovitch
• Bernadette Perryman
• Laurie Bernstein
• Sarah Schuck
• Leslie Kirkland
• Sandi Globus
• Sarah Huska
• Alison Grayson
• Stacy Bannerman
• Mariah Calagione
• Priscilla Hunter
• Leslie Henderson
• Anette Heaslet
• Sabrah Maple
• Christie Todd Whitman
• Marcia Jonas
• Rhonda Kallman
• Rebecca Newman
• Nicole Nelson
• Rhianna Simes
• Claire Sykes
• Nicole Kasten
• Donna Wright
• Belle and Hops
• Johanna Blakley
• Sheryl Sandberg
• Alice Waters
• Geena Davis
• Ellen Degeneres
• Lola at the USPS

Is that more than 31?? So what…I could go on.

Now you – go on. Make your own list.

now...where's my beer?

Come visit us this weekend at the Oregon Chocolate Festival in Ashland OR. It’s the tasty brainchild of Karolina at the gracious and hospitable Ashland Springs Hotel.

We get the express pleasure of giving the first ever Beer & Chocolate tasting session. Karolina was super excited about the idea so we’re thrilled to get to enlighten on the wonderful flavor experience of beer and chocolate together. YUM!!

The Festival starts with a special dinner Friday 3/2, runs 11 – 3 both Saturday and Sunday 3/3 & 3/4. We’ll be there the entire time, with the Beer & Chocolate session at 1 pm Sunday.  You need to register in advance and the sessions are open to women and men – and tickets are selling nicely.

Cheers to Beer & Chocolate!

It's fun and educational to hang with Jamie

Jamie Floyd has good sense. Ninkasi is the Eugene brewery that he co-founded. Jamie invited me to be part of a sensory Game (as he calls it) a few weeks ago. It was great! And I learned a few more things about beer.

Since I love words, here are a few I wanted to encourage everyone to use – Businesses: teach these to consumers, one at a time. Consumers: learn them, seek out brewery folk to help you get to know them well.

• Retro Nasal
• Thresholds
• Shadow Spots
• Gram-Negative

Vocabulary is a very fun and effective way to get more consumers deeper into beer – all beer. Education truly is the core of progress.

Celebrating IWD at Louie's 2011

Find and highlight 31 reasons to celebrate Women’s Herstory Month – it starts today!!

And International Women’s Day is Thursday March 8th. Show women they matter by making a big deal out of it.

• 31 Women and females you know and care about
• 31 Influential female figures in your world
• 31 Attributes women bring to the world
• 31 Female homebrewers
• 31 Female professional brewers
• 31 Female beer professionals
• 31 Women

You can do it. Women are doing it everyday.

p.s. International Men’s Day = November 19th