Guelph's craft beer club for women, the Hoppy Bitches, now has it's own beer.
Hoperation gets its official launch at a Friday night event at Wellington Brewery, who collaborated with the club on the brew.
The club, which has been around for a few years now, has around 30 members who meet on a semi-regular informal basis to socialize and enjoy some craft beer.
"We've been in town for about eight years in Guelph and there's also a Toronto chapter," said Hoppy Bitches spokesperson Stacey Hare.
"We get about 20 people to our events. It's pretty casual and there's no membership fees or requirements," Hare says.
"It's basically whoever wants to host an event, be it a beer tour, a tasting at their house or a trip to a new brewery.
"Or we just go curling or axe throwing. It's just an opportunity for ladies who love beer," Hare said.
Friday at Wellington Brewery on Woodlawn Road will be the debut of Hoperation, a "tasty, pretty, pink and hazy IPA" that will be sold at the brewery's retail store starting Nov. 9.
That event gets underway at 7:30 p.m. and will feature entertainment by the Frosted Pits, an '80s-music-only cover band featuring the well-known local musicians Steph Yates, Alanna Gurr, Emma Howarth-Withers, Emma Bortolon-Vettor, Sara Bortolon-Vettor. The event ends at 9 p.m.
A portion of the proceeds from the beer's sales going to the Girls Rock Camp Guelph, a special March Break music camp for girls operated in Guelph each year.
Hare said the Hoppy Bitches offers a chance for women to learn about beer in a comfortable setting.
"I think it's probably just a bit more focused. A lot of the women show up at other events with dudes, this is just another opportunity for these women to bond and get together.
"Craft beer has been hot for a while now, but it's still a 'bro' business," Hare says with a chuckle.
"Our values are very similar to the Queen of Craft," said Hare, referring to the annual women's beer creation event that sells out every year. Our goal is to have women learn more about the brewing process and the different kinds of beer, because they're not all the same."
If someone tells Hare they don't like beer, "I just tell them they haven't tried the right one yet."
For more on the Hoppy Bitches go to their Facebook page.
