Ladies’ only beer club launches its first beer at Systembolaget

What’s become of Pippi Longstocking? In case you are not watching Scandi noir TV series, you would not know that there are only two kinds of Swedish women around: grumpy female cops or anxious female victims.

We are glad to report that in actual fact there is another group in evidence which enjoys a beer and likes to do this in the company of other women.

Two years ago a woman called Elin Carlsson from Gothenburg set up a women’s beer club on Facebook, called Fem Ale. The group would alert women to bars that had interesting beers on tap. Fem Ale also arranged tastings at local breweries.

The next logical step for them was to brew their own beer, a Pale Ale. They found a willing partner in the Ocean Brewery in Gothenburg. Being social media savvy, word was soon out what Fem Ale had got up to. But making the beer available to others via the state-owned chain of alcohol-shops, Systembolaget, took some effort.

As of early February 2015, “We can do it” has been listed by Systembolaget, alas as a label by Ocean Brewery.

The pale ale retails at SEK 29.80 (EUR 3.16/USD 3.60) per 500 ml bottle.