A toast to a women-owned brewing that leads on giving back

By Kristen Kuchar

The idea for Lady Justice Brewing came to three women serving in AmeriCorps about 11 years ago.

Betsy Lay, Kate Power and Jen Cuesta were working at a small nonprofit in Arvada. They shared a beer together after a tough day of capacity building for the organization — a day when their fundraising requests were met with a lot of no’s.

However, despite being in the middle of a recession with people continually telling them they couldn’t afford to give, the women realized people were still willing to spend money on craft beer.

“It led them to ask the question: Why can’t we just brew beer and give that money back?” explains Alison Wisneski, director of marketing for the brewery.

During law school, Power wrote about the brewery’s concept in a business law class. The business was small at first, starting in 2014 as a 300-square-foot storage room in a former commercial garage. They sold beer through memberships on a 1-barrel system.

Lady Justice has now grown to a 7-barrel brewery and taproom that is making a mark on the Colorado community. Power and Cuesta are still practicing law, and Lay recently left her job in higher education.

“We care about two things: making great beer and helping organizations make the world a better place,” Wisneski says.

So far, they have raised $21,000 and counting for more than 30 organizations, and have raised awareness. Recipients include Aurora Mental Health Center, Frontline Farming, Girls Rock Denver, Kenzi’s Kids, Soul 2 Soul Sisters, Su Teatro, and Women’s Wilderness. Organizations are chosen through grant applications and requests from small nonprofits.

The team loves being a part of these organizations’ stories.

“We often hear back with updates on how funding was used, and we try to give space for those organizations to share with our beer-drinking community.” In addition to raising money for these groups, the Lady Justice team also uses social media and newsletters to keep the community informed on ways to help.

Lady Justice also is building community through collaborations. One recent collab was with BlaQ & Soul, an organization focused on intersectionality in craft food and beverage spaces. They brewed a foeder-aged peach saison with their friends at Goldspot Brewing in Denver. All profits go to The Autistic People of Color Fund.

Lady Justice collaborates regularly with Goldspot Brewing. “Kelissa (Heiber) and (Lady Justice’s) Betsy are both queer and women, and they’re also head brewers and owners, which is incredibly rare in the beer world,” Wisneski says. “We are fortunate to be in constant community and collaboration. Our beers always give back to LGBTQ+ organizations in the greater Denver area as it’s a community we’re a part of and a space we love to highlight.”

Lay, who has been a self-taught homebrewer since 2008, leads the brewing efforts.

“Our beer is meant to be approachable and we like to ensure we’re offering something for everyone,” Wisneski says. Flagship beers include Liberty Lager, Sandra Day IPA, Chosen Family Extra Special Bitter, and For the Record Stout.

The goal of the beer selection is to offer something for everyone, including a hard seltzer option for non-beer lovers.

“Our beertenders are incredible at making sure to walk with you as you choose the right beer for you before settling into the taproom to relax and imbibe,” Wisneski says.

There are also regular events in and around the tasting room, including trivia, live music, food trucks, and chocolate and beer pairings. There is also a dog-friendly outdoor space for warmer days.

“We see craft beer as community and hope to create a space where all feel welcome,” Wisneski says.

Kristen Kuchar is a freelance writer covering food, libations, music and other Colorado gatherings.