Brewing Witches

There is a saying that in order to make wine, you need a lot of beer. That is because most winemakers, at the end of a long day of harvest work, will reach for a cold beer as they kick their feet up to rest and recover.

As harvest corresponds with Halloween (at least in these parts of the world) I am reminded of the notion of witches as the original brewers.

The stereotypical witch costume includes a tall black hat, a broom, and with deep commitment might involve a cauldron and a black cat.

Originally, these objects were part of the beer brewing trade dominated by women until the 1500s when they were called “alewives” or “brewsters”.

That signature tall back hat? It made them visible in busy market places.

In the beer making process, the first step is to cook the grains to release the sugars. What better instrument to use than a large cauldron?

A broom was used to sweep up the grains and there are also some theories suggesting a broom was placed outside someone’s house to denote that beer could be purchased there.

With all that grain around, there were bound to be mice. And what animals catch mice? Cats.

Sounds like a witch costume, doesn’t it?

As fermentation wasn’t a process yet completely understood, it was then considered a form of witchcraft. And when men started to dominate beer making, corresponding with the religious movement in the early 16th century that brought stricter “gender norms” and a condemnation of witchcraft, women were slowly forced out of the vocation.

To add insult to injury, the increase in male brewers, seeking to reduce competition, spread rumours that female brewers were actual witches using their brewing equipment for evil purposes. These rumours, combined with the existing witchcraft hysteria, led to women being accused of witchcraft, a charge that could result in imprisonment or even death.

Pretty bad news for female brewers at the time.

Today, very generally, beer drinking is perceived to be preferred by men, with women perceived to favour wine. There are not many bachelorette parties that visit the numerous breweries around the County, and men the men typically dominate tap rooms at breweries.

Wouldn’t it be something to see some of today’s young girls inspired by the origins of the witches’ costume, reclaim their spot as brewing maven?