Who says suds are just for dudes? These lady-owned craft beer companies are brewing up some of the tastiest small-batch ales around.
Jackalope Brewing Company
This Nashville, Tennessee-based brewery was founded by BFFs Bailey Spaulding and Robyn Virball. Spaulding is the brewmistress behind the delicious Lovebird Wheat Beer (4.4% ABV), a hefeweizen crafted with heaps of strawberries and raspberries. It’s light, crisp, and not too sweet; a perfect choice for lazy Sunday sippin’.
Lovebird, $9.99 for a 6-pack of 12-oz. cans, jackalopebrew.com
New Belgium Brewing Company
CEO Kim Jordan has two great loves—beer and bikes. That’s why each of her employees at this Colorado-based company is gifted a new cruiser, and a bicycle adorns the label of the brand’s most popular beer, Fat Tire (5.20% ABV), which is a super-smooth amber ale with a slightly biscuit-y taste. If you prefer a beer that makes you pucker up, the La Folie (7% ABV) is a wood-aged sour ale that really packs a flavor punch.
Fat Tire, $8.99 for a 6-pack of 22-oz. bottles; La Folie, $18.99 for a 22-oz. bottle, newbelgium.com
Dogfish Head Brewery
Mariah Calagione is co-owner and VP of this Delaware-based brewery, one of the most popular microbreweries in the country. Their Indian Brown Ale (7.2% ABV) is a must-sip, with a slight caramel sweetness from the organic brown sugar. Once you’ve downed a bottle or two of that, be sure to check out the Namaste (4.8% ABV), a Belgian-style white beer with a slight orange taste that is brewed with lemongrass.
Namaste and Indian Brown Ale, $9.25 for a 6-pack of 12-oz. bottles, dogfish.com
Six Rivers Brewery
Talia Nachson and Meredith Maier-Ripley run a California company that bottles some very interesting flavor combos, like the Chili Pepper Spicy Ale (6% ABV). The standout is their black imperial stout, Gypsy Rosa (10% ABV). It is as smooth as Drake’s hands, with a black cherry and chocolate finish. If you’re not a fan of stouts, the Sasquatch Double IPA (9% ABV) is slightly sweet, with a strong flavor and a smooth finish.
Chili Pepper Spicy Ale, Gypsy Rosa, and Sasquatch Double IPA, $8 for a 22-oz. bottle, sixriversbrewery.com
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Article by Callie Watts
Photograph by Vanessa Rees
This article originally appeared in the Aug/Sept 2015 print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
