By Ranay Janssen

Lone Tree Brewing Company tapped its Big Boots Brew, an ancient-style ale that was brewed in honor of International Women’s Day.

The Big Boots Brew is an event put on by the Pink Boots Society to celebrate and bring attention to women in the craft beer industry. “Big Boots Brew is a direct fundraiser for PBS. And knowing our participation with this brew is part of something much bigger is humbling,” said Emily Schofield, tasting room manager at Lone Tree Brewing Co. The goal of PBS is to not only bring attention to women in this industry but also to enable women to become a part of the craft beer process.

Fundraisers such as Big Boots Brew can help change the misconception that men like beer and women like wine, while also celebrating women in all facets of the beer industry. Big Boots Brew gives female brewers a chance to explore the techniques they have learned together and to raise money for scholarships and classes for the Pink Boots Society.

On International Women’s Day, five women from Lone Tree came together to ring in their first year participating in Big Boots Brew. “I have followed and been involved in Pink Boots Society since I started in the beer industry,” said Schofield. “I’ve wanted to participate in Big Boots Brew for a long time but this year was the first time we were able to do it justice. Being able to spend an entire day together doing something different was a great experience.”

The Big Boots Brew provided a great experience for five women from Lone Tree Brewing to share their knowledge and experience and become more involved in the industry. “It’s not just a beer, it’s a movement,” said Emily Hutto, who attended the gathering. Hutto owns Radcraft and has long supported the industry with her writing and advocacy.

The beer was tapped earlier this month and one dollar from every pint purchased will be donated to the Pink Boots Society.

Lone Tree Brewing Co. opened its doors in 2011 as a small, family-friendly brewery. Their focus is on sampling handcrafted beers and sharing this experience with craft beer enthusiasts. The brewery has 15 staff members, half of whom are women.

“It’s important to show just how prolific women are in the brewing industry,” Schofield said. “Pink Boots Society is an amazing organization that offers support, advice, tips, community, scholarships and more for its members.”

Three of the women from Lone Tree Brewing are members of Pink Boots Society but Schofield hopes that eventually all the female employees will become members.