Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
A toast to women
Beer fest celebrates female brewers.
Raise a toast to the women of craft beer.
FemAle Brew Fest will serve up local flavors in Fort Lauderdale’s FAT Village on May 28. Earlybird tickets, which cost $20-$35, are on sale through Thursday, when prices increase to $25-$40. Designated drivers will be charged $10.
The brainchild of South Florida-based women’s advocacy group the Fem Collective, FemAle will champion local women who’ve made their mark in the male-dominated brewing industry. They include Katherine Castro, assistant brewer at MIA Beer Company in Doral; Natalie Wakefield, cofounder of J. Wakefield Brewing in Miami; and Felonice Merriman, cofounder of Accomplice Brewing and Ciderworks in West Palm Beach.
Other brewers expected to attend include Erin Cox, a quality-assurance manager for Great Divide Brewing Co. in Colorado; Emily Thomas, owner and head brewer of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing in California; and Lauren Zeidler, director of quality for Ballast Point Brewing Company in San Diego. The festival has one rule: Only breweries employing women with high-ranking job titles (head brewer, co-founder, etc.) will serve craft suds.
Miami DJ La Trice Perry will spin, and bands (the lineup is still to be announced) will perform throughout the night. The event also will include food trucks, beer pairings and brewing talks.