Fem-Ale Fest brings together women in the beer and drinks industry

Ireland | Held at the Franciscan Well brewpub in Cork on 9 and 10 August 2019, the Fem-Ale Fest is Ireland’s only festival dedicated to celebrating women in the drinks industry.

Now in its second year, the festival will be held at Franciscan Well’s beer garden, a popular Cork destination for craft beers and pizza. It will feature a range of Irish beers brewed by the female brewers of Ireland, with thirteen breweries attending, including Black Donkey, Carrig Brewing and Rising Sons. At Franciscan Well’s upstairs cocktail bar, MONK, women in distilling (working for distilleries such as Tipperary and Jameson) will be giving talks on their products while offering tastings. 

“The festival is to highlight the important role that women have had in contributing to the success of the beer and spirits industry in Ireland,” says Kate Clancy, Marketing Manager of the Franciscan Well Brewpub and organiser of the festival.

This year, Ms Clancy decided to raise funds for the Sexual Violence Centre in Cork, which has been providing services to victims of sexual violence in Cork city and county for 33 years.

For its part, the Franciscan Well brewpub has brewed a limited edition Raspberry Saison. All proceeds from this beer will go to the local charity too.

As well as sampling the beers and cocktails, those attending will have an opportunity to attend talks from some of the leading women in the industry. Last year’s talks were given by women from different backgrounds, including marketing, sales, journalism and brewing “The talks are a platform to share experiences, while also being informative. We hope to reach out to women who would like to get involved, and show how welcoming the industry is to everyone,” says Ms Clancy.  

Admission to the festival is free and all are welcome.

The Franciscan Well brewpub is owned by Shane Lone, who founded the Franciscan Well brewery in Cork in 1998 and sold it to Molson Coors in 2013.