History of Brewing, Womens Work
Barley and wheat are the typical main ingredients in beer that contain gluten. I believe it is possible to make great tasting beer without these two gluten containing grains and have been working hard to develop our own new recipes. The goal at Against the Grain is to weave ancient beer brewing tradition with the current thirst for allergen free ale. It is our mission at Against The Grain Brewery to bring gluten freedom to the people one beer at a time.
A pint of Beer Brewing History
Though the revival of home brewing in the 1970s seems to have been largely a male affair, brewing in the late middle-ages was known as women's work. Women would brew for their family’s ale that had some medicinal value by using local plants and herbs as well as providing a safer drink than water that hadn’t been treated by fermentation. The German Purity law was enacted in 1516 or Reinheitsgebot laws, permitting only four ingredients in beer: water, hops, barley, and yeast. Some saw this law as an attempt to outlaw small batch local brewers, which were at that time predominantly women, from continuing their tradition of hand crafted recipe brewing techniques.
During this time most brewers - or 'broustaris' as they were known - brewed only enough to suit the needs of their immediate family. But as particular individuals became more adept at this ancient art, so public breweries began to surface across the Europe country-side. In 1509, a list of brewers in Aberdeen, England records 152 people, all of whom were women. Some have suggested that brewing was simply an extension of baking, so it’s not surprising that so many women were involved. However, the fact that so many records list women, 'free from husband, living or dead’, would suggest that brewing may also have afforded women a degree of independence too.
Perhaps because brewing provided women with a lucrative income, it attracted a great deal of moral disapproval and laws were passed in the late 16th Century aiming to prohibit women from working in alehouses. However, there is strong evidence that women continued to work as brewers right up until the 1790’s. By then other changes were also afoot. The rise of the Industrial Revolution also created a far greater demand than traditional cottage breweries could sustain.
If you are interested in learning more about this subject I suggest reading; Fermenting Revolution: How to drink beer and save the world. The author, Christopher O’Brien, delivers an empowering message in his book about how individuals can change the world through the simple act of having a beer. In this book O’Brien traces the path of brewing from a women-led, home-based craft to corporate industry, and describes how modern craft breweries and home-brewers are forging stronger communities. O’Brien explains how corporate mega-breweries are also taking steps to pioneer industrial ecology, and profiles the most inspiring and radical breweries, brewers, and beer drinkers that are making the world a better place to live. O’Brien presents the case for beer as both the cause of and solution to all of the world’s problems. Beer has contributed to the best qualities of civilization, but it is also helping to destroy them.
“In the last two decades, Americans have returned to beer as a way of life rather than as a commodity. Casting off its industrial chains, beer is again communal, convivial, democratic, healthful, and natural. The contemporary American brewing scene champions ecologically sustainable production and is helping to create thriving community places. After reading Fermenting Revolution, mere beer drinkers will become "beer activists," ready to fight corporate rule by simply meeting their neighbors for a pint at the local brewpub-saving the world one beer at a time.” (amazon.com, book review)
