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It's My Job Everyday: Why I Don't Need to Prove Myself

By Anonymous
By Jasmine Makkinga
First-Year Brewmaster Student

A brief write up and background on the Blindman Brewing Double India Pale Ale produced for the 2019 Women's Day Brew.

Back of Can Descriptor ABV: 9.2% IBU: 55 OG: 1.077 FG: 1.010 SRM: 5.4

On March 8th, the Pink Boots Society organizes a very special international collaboration brew day. By drinking this beer, you're supporting women's success in the brewing world, as well as raising funds for powerful influential charities.
This year, we are donating to the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter as well as to scholarship programs for women in the brewing industry. 
A team of sixteen women joined forces and brewed this bright, hoppy Double IPA. Double dry-hopped with a special blend chosen specifically for this event, each sip will be as bold and uncompromising as the women who crafted it.

Brewery Notes

(Panel consisted of trained and experienced Blindman Brewing staff members) 
Visual: golden straw, hazy
Olfactory: Tropical fruit, pineapple, papaya and mango
Gustatory: Sweet up front with a dry finish, papaya, pineapple and mango flavours are noticeably present
Tactility: Full bodied, medium carb, mild alcohol bite and drying finish, surprisingly smooth  

Panel Notes

(Panel was made up of untrained beer enthusiast and completed after sampling two cans of the DIPA to ensure they really knew the product thoroughly)
Visual: looks like summer - like sunshine
Olfactory: Fruity and Fresh, not like a stout. Stone fruit, mango and peaches. Like Spring - light and fruity. Smells like things to come. 
Gustatory: Tastes like that time I lost my pants + pineapple I think. Maybe Mango
Tactility: some bubbles but not as prickly – less like a cactus

Pairs Well With

Food: Apple Chicken Brie Sandwich from Cilantro and Chive, Lemon Chiffon Cake, Curry, and Chicken Tacos
Activities: Surfing the Blindman River, Bull Riding, Cruisin’ on your Bicycle, Lawn Darts, and Losing Your Pants. 

Brewers Comments

I had been working at Blindman Brewing for just under a year when I was approached and asked to lead the 2019 Women’s Day brew. I was excited because it was an opportunity for me to learn, be creative and to put my new knowledge into practice. To me, the International Women’s Day Brew is a fun, lighthearted day where we can celebrate the skills, talents and diversity that women bring to a predominantly male trade. 
Side note: International Women's Day – is supposed to be a day to celebrate women and our equality in the workplace. However, a lot of times it feels more like a slap in the face where men run around like, "Oh good for you, you got your day to do your thing, how nice." I am capable of running a brew like this or creating recipes every day. While International Women's Day is a fantastic opportunity to be able to represent the women in the industry and create a product that supports a good cause, it is still just a day of work for me. I am lucky that Blindman Brewing has done an excellent job of ensuring that women are well-represented within their brewery and I've never felt ‘less than’ any of my coworkers. 
I won't deny that International Women's Day is important and has its place, however, to write why it's so important to me feels like I'm playing into the male ego where I'm still just a woman who needs to have a special day to prove my capability.




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