Beer History Storyline
Women in Beer History
Recover the roles of women as brewers, tavern keepers, agricultural workers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and leaders across beer history.
Chronological milestones
Sources and further references are available on each individual event page.
1800 BC
The Hymn to Ninkasi Describes Mesopotamian Brewing
1750 BC
The Code of Hammurabi Regulates Female Tavern Keepers
900
Wari Brewers Produce Chicha at Cerro Baúl
1158
Hildegard of Bingen Describes the Preservative Power of Hops
1300
Women Dominate Ale Brewing and Selling in Medieval England
1450
The Inca State Organizes Large-Scale Chicha Production
1600
Commercial Brewing Becomes Increasingly Closed to English Brewsters
1877
Susannah Oland Buys Out a Brewery Partner and Joins Her Sons in Management
1908
Natal’s Native Beer Act Enables Municipal Beer Monopolies
May 1929
Pauline Sabin Organizes Women for Prohibition Reform
June 17, 1959
Women at Cato Manor Lead a Municipal Beer-Hall Boycott
1981
A Study Documents Women’s Commercial Sorghum-Beer Economy in Upper Volta
1987
Carol Stoudt Establishes Stoudts Brewing Company
2007
Teri Fahrendorf Founds the Pink Boots Society
March 2016
Schneeeule Debuts with Traditional Berliner Weisse
2025
Zum WØL Wins World's Best IPA At The World Beer Awards
September 30, 2025
Schneeeule Closes Its Brewery Business and Berlin Salon
August 28, 2026
Schneeeule Returns with Three Berliner Weisse Beers Brewed with Lemke