At Naperville’s Solemn Oath Brewery, there was good reason to raise a glass in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8: a new brew created by women to commemorate the day.
Vibes Since 1920: a women-led beer
“Vibes Since 1920 is a project that I decided to involve the women of craft beer in Chicagoland in and it was a way to get them to network, meet each other, find support groups, and then brew a beer together, said Charolette Converse, hospitality and event manager for Solemn Oath Brewery.
“It’s an American pale ale, it features some classic hops, but a touch of like a new school New Zealand hop called Wakatu, so it’s got this really nice bold juicy tropical flavor to it,” said Converse.
The name Vibes Since 1920 is a nod to notable figures in women’s rights history from Chicagoland.
“Inspiration came from Jane Addams and the Hull-House and Ida B. Wells and a group of women in the sixties and seventies that then decided to go ahead and help push for women’s rights movements,” said Converse.
The group of women brewers met twice this year when creating the drink: once to select the style of beer and hops, then a few weeks later to brew the beer at Solemn Oath in Naperville.
“So everybody participating in it is a part of Chicago craft beer in some way. Some of them work at breweries, some of them work at bottle shops, restaurants, some are even podcasters, but all of them are included in the craft beer scene in Chicago,” said Converse.
The beer can be purchased at Solemn Oath Brewery in Naperville and Chicago. Additional spots to find the brew are listed on the Vibes Since 1920 webpage.
“This is a pretty big batch of beer, but we do expect it to go quickly,” said Converse. “This was just a one-time beer. We are hoping to continue this project and do other beers or ciders even, but this is kind of a one-and-done with this exact one.”
Celebrating women in the beer industry
Solemn Oath will hold another event on March 16 where it will tap beers made by local women.
“So it will be Vibes Since 1920, as well as six or seven other locally women-brewed beers on site,” said Converse.
It’s all part of the group’s mission of shining a light on women in the beer industry and creating a welcoming environment for all women.
“I hope it really just gives them the confidence to know that when they walk into this space, not only are they wanted to be here, but they deserve to be here. They deserve to enjoy themselves, have a beer with a friend, ask questions, and feel comfortable in this space,” said Converse.
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