FEM.ALE is a festival that showcases female led music and most importantly, beer brewed by women and enjoyed by everyone. Surprisingly, FEM.ALE is the first dedicated brewster festival in the U.K providing a platform to celebrate women in the beer industry through extensive lists of female brewed beer, meet-the-brewers, specially made one-off ales, panels, discussions and all sorts of other events.

We get asked a few questions on a regular basis – sometimes from people with genuine inquiries or wanting clarification, sometimes from people being snarky because… well, that’s what you get for pointing out gender inequality.

What counts as a Brewster beer?

All the beers at FEM.ALE are designed, developed and brewed by women or brew teams that are led by women. Most of the breweries we source from are pretty small, so it’s easy to define who’s doing the brewing, as opposed to other jobs such as the accounts or the marketing. At some of the bigger beer companies, it’s harder to tell who’s at the heart of the physical brewing process and the creative design process, so we go to the women in those organisations and ask them what beers they’ve been involved with or which they would recommend in the line-up of beers at the brew co. they work at.

What’s the difference between ‘craft beer’ and ‘real ale’?

Technically, not a lot. Or at least it depends on where you are. As a cultural phenomenon, craft beer emerged out of smaller batch American breweries in the 1990s and 2000s, Sierra Nevada being a brand that used ‘craftiness’ to offer an alternative beer identity to those at big beer co’s like Coors or Budweiser to huge commercial success. Here in the UK, thanks to CAMRA and the tireless work of thousands of brewers creating quality small batch beer, real ale breweries were always sort of…doing that anyway. However, while the American term ‘craft’ refers to the smaller volume of beer being produced, over here ‘craft’ refers more to the style. ‘Craft beer’ is often keg bound than barrel aged, is therefore fizzier and stronger American hops are used, giving American style craft beers a different, more pronounced hop flavour than ‘real ale’ does with our slightly less sun-drenched British-grown hops. Rain cloud emoji.

Where are all the women in cider-making??

We’re working on it!

Are men allowed at the festival (hurr hurr)?

Yes (hurr hurr). We welcome all genders to the party.

Is the beer… different?

Different… to what? If you’re a regular beer drinker, you’re probably already drinking Brewster beers on a regular basis. Our plan is to bring a selection of them together to celebrate women in an industry where we are largely underrepresented.

For three days, all of the beer taps at The Plasterers Arms will be dedicated to pouring you the finest craft brews in the country, exclusively brewed by women.

ALL WEEK:

There will be a special Fem.Ale stand on the market, in collaboration with Sir Toby’s Beers. Some of the best female-brewed beers will be available to buy in can and bottle for the entire week of city of ale.

✪ Friday 1st June ✪

Fem.Ale launch party

All the specially selected brewster beers will be hitting the taps. We will be launching all the beers we have had specially brewed for the event, including one-off beers form Burnt Mill, Redwell and The People’s Brewery. Fem.Ale DJs Kid n Slay will spinning tunes on the decks all night long.

✪ Sat 2nd June ✪

Truman’s Meet The Brewer & beer showcase

Charlotte, head brewer at Truman’s Brewery in East London will be joining us for the day, starting with a podcast recording at 3pm, and then into the evening to sample a few of the beers and answer any questions that Trumans fans might have. We will have Amy Nomvula playing records from 8pm.

✪ Sun 3rd June ✪

Live Music

Acts to be confirmed.

✪ BEER LIST ✪

The moment you've all been waiting for is here...

FEM.ALE IS BACK!

Our annual celebration of female brewsters takes place over the weekend of the 4th to the 6th of May, with Saturday 1pm - 6pm being our main event. Expect:

• A huge selection of fantastic ales all weekend
• Live music as part of our street party on Saturday
• DJs on Friday and Saturday nights
• Delicious vegan food
• Exciting market stalls powered by women
• Open Mic
• Clothing/ sleeping bag drive

SATURDAY 5th MAY

We will take to the street outside for a mega celebration. Bands to be announced soon! Don't make any other plans.

~ FREE ENTRY ~

Contact us if you are interested in our Open Mic slots! Anything from spoken word, music, storytelling, a performance piece, let us know! Fully accessible event with ramp entrance into the pub.

Female Brewster Pub Takeover: All five cask and all ten keg taps pouring nothing but beer brewed by women all week for Nottingham Craft Beer Week 2018

Expect to see; Wild Card, Burnt Mill, Welbeck Abbey, Brewsters, Tiny Rebel, Charnwood, Dancing Duck, Wiper & True and Hollowstone +more

✪ SATURDAY 9th JUNE 9pm

MISS BOWIE AND THE NEW KILLER STARS

Our unofficial Nottingham Craft Beer Week opening ceremony. Live music from female-fronted David Bowie tribute with a few unique twists. Miss Bowie and the New Killer Stars aim to do justice to the genius of David Bowie's music with authentic and heartfelt performances of their interpretations of his songs, at the same time as paying homage to the original versions. Lead vocalist Jane Roberts says “We are pretty sure David would have approved [of a female singer], his whole ethos on androgyny, boundary shattering, and (most importantly) on love, is something very close to our hearts.” Free entry. Drinks offers. Strictly over 18’s.

✪ SUNDAY 10TH JUNE 5pm

FEM.ALE PANEL DISCUSSION

Chaired by Erica Horton, Bunkers Hill welcomes Jaega Wise from Wild Card Brewery and newly appointed South East Director for SIBA, Claire Monk from Welbeck Abbey Brewery in Nottinghamshire and Natalie Bullin, Nottingham CAMRA Young Members Co-Ordinator. Arrive early to meet brewsters Jaega and Claire, five of each of their beers will be on tap.

✪ THURSDAY 14TH JUNE 8pm

AN EVENING WITH MELISSA COLE
ADV £10 / DOOR £16 

Buy your tickets  here
This interactive tasting session will be hosted by award-winning beer & food writer and sommALEier Melissa Cole, in an intimate space at Bunkers Hill in the Hockley area of Nottingham City Centre. Whether you are an active beer enthusiast or are more 'beer curious', this session is for you!

While you enjoy your first beer, Melissa will begin with a short talk, leading into a full tasting. Working through 6 beers (all included with your ticket) chosen from Bunkers Hill’s specially-selected FEM.ALE range, you will explore the breweries, beer styles, flavours and food pairing suggestions (Actual food optional but not included, sadly!), alongside a mini-Q&A!

Numbers are strictly limited (Only 50 tickets available). Tickets are £10 in advance, which includes 6 thirds of beer (Available online at gigantic.com).

✪ FRIDAY 15th JUNE & SATURDAY 16TH JUNE 10pm-2am

SISTERS OF SOUND

Nottingham-based vinyl only female DJ collective Sisters of Sound are providing the entertainment for the closing weekend of NCBW18 and they love music and dancing! Playing a pick’n’mix of styles including funk, soul, house, hip hop, garage surf, rock and indie. DJ’s include Stiff Kittens, Sue Starbuck and Ana Galhard +more