For the second straight year, women in Olds College's brewmaster and brewery operations management program have created and sold a beer for International Women's Day.
This year's beer was called Little Sure Shot, the nickname of Annie Oakley, an American sharpshooter in the 1800s.
Several women in the program showcased the beer April 16 at the Just Jacks lounge in the Pomeroy Inn & Suites.
Last year, they brewed a pale ale called Calamity Jane. She was an American frontierswoman and scout who toured with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in the 1800s.
Karen Cheshire, a second-year student in the brewmaster and brewery operations management program noted this year's brew is different than last year's.
It's a Belgian saison. That's a very carbonated pale ale which usually has an alcohol content of about seven per cent. It's said to have a fruity, spicy, taste.
“This beer is mostly barley, but it has a bit of rye and wheat malt in it as well and it has a Belgian yeast, which is what gives it that spicy character that you'll notice,” Cheshire said. “Last year our pale ale was more hoppy. This year we've done less hops and a more interesting yeast.
“Last year's beer was a little bit more bitter and had a little bit more herbaceous and grassy hop flavour. Also some fruity hop flavours whereas this year, we've toned down the hops, so you won't notice them very much in this beer but the yeast character will be much higher.”
Cheshire said the decision to name the beer was very deliberate.
“The whole idea behind using Annie Oakley as our inspiration was that we wanted to celebrate the fact that women can be both very feminine and very strong all at once. We don't have to compromise one for the other.
“The beer really represents that. It's a little bit fruity, a little bit floral, it's quite spicy. It's really delicate and easy to drink. It's delicious and it sort of leaves you wanting more when you're drinking it,” she said.
A portion of the money raised from the sale of the beer went to Communities in Bloom.
First-year student Taylor Larson said that's because the Pink Boots Society, a society of female brewing industry professionals, requires that a portion of money raised through the sale of special beers brewed for International Women's Day goes to local charities.
Also, those brewing the beer did so in collaboration with the college's Office of Sustainability, which put them in touch with Communities in Bloom.
“That's why we chose wheat and rye, because they're both very local cereal grains,” Larson said. “And the Office of Sustainability put us in contact with Communities in Bloom, because they do so many wonderful environmentally sustainable initiatives throughout the community and we really wanted to support that as well.”
“It's been a really good experience.”
The beer seemed to be popular at Just Jacks. Bartenders were pouring glasses of it on tap frequently.
Cheshire was pleased.
“People were already buying bombers (22-ounce bottles) of it from the retail store as we were still bottling it, so I think it's going to go pretty well. It's gone pretty well so far and we still haven't even finished packaging all of it,” she said.
Gerda Vester of Communities in Bloom was pleased the ladies chose to support their organization.
“I think it's absolutely wonderful because they're reaching out and meeting the community,” she said. “Sometimes I think in the town, different groups become quite insular and they're reaching out and finding different groups in the town -- like us.”
"The whole idea behind using Annie Oakley as our inspiration was that we wanted to celebrate the fact that women can be both very feminine and very strong all at once. We don't have to compromise one for the other."KAREN CHESHIREOC BREWERY PROGRAM STUDENT
