Mashing Queen coming soon to a brewery near you

Female and nonbinary members of the fermented beverage industry were recently having the time of their life brewing Mashing Queen.

The nod to the 1970s ABBA song “Dancing Queen” with a brewing reference will be available in 16 ounce four pack cans and on tap at various local breweries in April.

Mashing Queen, a juicy pale ale, is the ninth collaboration beer for the Pink Boots Society New Mexico chapter.

“It is slightly sweet, medium-bodied and brewed to accentuate the tropical flavors and aromas of this year’s Pink Boot’s Hop Blend,” according to the New Mexico chapter’s Facebook page.

Yakima Chief Hops partnered with the Pink Boots Society to create the special seasonal hop blend for the Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day, which was held on International Women’s Day, March 8, at Boxing Bear Brewing Company’s Firestone location.

“Cami O’Brien is the brewer here at Boxing Bear and it’s her recipe and she decided to put in the brew the Pink Boots hop blend that Yakima Chief puts out every year that anyone can purchase,” said Kristy Bounds, co-leader of Pink Boots Society New Mexico chapter and brewer at Steel Bender Brewyard. “And some of the money goes toward the Pink Boots Society and then if you have a collaboration Brew Day, that money raised from the sales of the beer also goes to Pink Boots Society.”

The brew day on March 8 had an impressive turnout.

“It’s a great turnout,” said Ebbie Edmonston, executive director of the New Mexico Brewers Guild. “I’ve only been coming to these (since) last year and then this year, but this is a great turnout. I would say there’s at least 45 people here and a lot of them I haven’t met, so that’s very exciting.”

The brew day brought out many brewers and fermented beverage industry staff from various breweries around the state including All The Things craft cocktails & mixers, Bosque Brewing Co., Boxing Bear Brewing Co., Canteen Brewpub, La Cumbre Brewing Co., Marble Brewery, Rio Bravo Brewing Co., Santa Fe Brewing Co., Second Street Brewery, Steel Bender Brewyard, Tractor Brewing Co. and others.

“The brew days are an open invitation to any women and nonbinary folks that are in the industry just to come out, network, meet people,” Bounds said. “Men are also invited. They totally can come and attend, but it is a space for women to be more comfortable, asking questions, and have other women educate them in the process of brewing a beer.”

Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day is the society’s largest fundraiser, according to the New Mexico chapter’s Facebook page. There are just over 40 members of the Pink Boots Society’s local chapter.

“Basically it’s an organization to assist, inspire and encourage women and nonbinary folks in the fermented beverage industry through education,” Bounds said.

Another collaboration brew day is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 15, at Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op, 163 Central Park Square in Los Alamos. A hoppy lager will be brewed for that brew day. More information is available at facebook.com/pinkbootssociety newmexico.