We bring you rest and relaxation this week when we take the podcast on the road and visit the UK’s first beer spa!

The Norfolk Mead, near Norwich, opened it’s beer spa in July 2024.  We visited in January 2025 and share our experience.  This is a 45 minute experience with unlimited beer – we see how much you can really drink in this time and still have a relaxing experience.  We share out tips for staying in the area and what we might change about our trip if we visited again.

Find out if we recommend the beer spa experience in the UK, and let us know if you think you will be visiting soon!

Read Tori's blog post about the experience here: 

https://adventuresinhoptimism.com/beer-spa/

Get in Touch:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.lovebeerlearning.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awomansbrew/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWomansBrew

Tori: @adventures_in_hoptimism

Joanne: @lovebeerlearning

Support us: https://ko-fi.com/awomansbrew

Join our 2025 drinking challenge here

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Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

We are very excited to welcome Dr Christina Wade to talk about her new book Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland, which is being published this week!

We find out what makes a Filthy Queen (spoiler, it’s the opinion of a man!), discuss historical drink recipes, how varying historical sources and experimental archaeology bring us closer to the truth of our history and share our favourite stories from the book.  Of course, you will just have to order a copy to get the full picture!

Reading the book and catching up with Dr Christina has made us want to visit Ireland and she gives us her top tips for doing just that.  We suggest that you grab yourselves a copy of this wonderful book and get as excited about it as we are.

Preorder a copy of the book here:

https://ninebeanrowsbooks.com/en-gb/products/filthy-queens

Check out Dr Christina’s Substack here:

https://braciatrixnewsletter.substack.com/

Find her on Instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/braciatrix/

Find the documentary Drunk? On YouTube here:

https://foodcult.eu/2023/09/21/drunk-adventures-in-sixteenth-century-brewing/

The 1641 Despositions Project:

https://www.tcd.ie/history/research/1641.php

And let us know your favourite story from the book once you have read it!

Get in Touch:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.lovebeerlearning.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awomansbrew/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWomansBrew

Tori: @adventures_in_hoptimism

Joanne: @lovebeerlearning

Support us: https://ko-fi.com/awomansbrew

Join our 2025 drinking challenge here

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Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Interrupting our usual format, today is all about the latest in beer news as we present our first news episode of 2025. Our conversation dives into a range of compelling topics in the beer world, with an aim to stir both minds and emotions.

First up, we explore a series of polarizing yet crucial news articles. We recap the trending stories and the larger conversations they provoke, from politically charged topics to the dramatic shifts in the beer scene. We discuss the sentiments around work-life balance versus work-life integration, highlighting strong opinions and sparking deeper reflections on how these concepts play out in the beer industry.

We also turn our focus on the future, discussing essential trends to watch out for in 2025. Whether it's the rise of more approachable beer styles, enhanced sustainability efforts, or the push for flagship brews, we cover it all to ensure you're up-to-date on what’s set to shape the craft beer landscape this year.

Check out the articles yourself here:

https://www.independent.co.uk/business/brewdog-james-watt-georgia-toffolo-work-life-balance-b2676653.html

https://daily.sevenfifty.com/6-beer-industry-trends-to-watch-in-2025/

https://about.fb.com/news/2025/01/meta-more-speech-fewer-mistakes/

https://www.hopculture.com/untappd-beers-5-star-check-ins/

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2024/04/will-monsters-latest-moves-crush-craft-beer/

Got any news we should cover?  Let us know!

Get in Touch:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.lovebeerlearning.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awomansbrew/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWomansBrew

Tori: @adventures_in_hoptimism

Joanne: @lovebeerlearning

Support us: https://ko-fi.com/awomansbrew

Join our 2025 drinking challenge here

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Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

This week we go back to the summer when Tori was in the US.  She set herself up a blind beer tasting of American Light Lagers to see if she could tell the difference between craft and macro – how do you think she did?

We recap the tasting notes for American Light Lager and give tips on blind beer tasting.  Tori also shares some tips around her American beer road trip.

Would you like to see us do more blind beer tastings?  Let us know!

Find our previous episode on Light Lager here:

https://lovebeerlearning.co.uk/a-womans-brew-podcast/episode-199-lager-series-light-lager

Get Jo’s blind beer tasting kit here:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1381261666/blind-beer-tasting-kit-printable-beer?click_key=724a765e20b3d1f3249134a3e50f8b825fca567e%3A1381261666&click_sum=92f9b66d&ref=shop_home_recs_5

Get in Touch:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.lovebeerlearning.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awomansbrew/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWomansBrew

Tori: @adventures_in_hoptimism

Joanne: @lovebeerlearning

Support us: https://ko-fi.com/awomansbrew

Join our 2025 drinking challenge here

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Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Happy New Year! We’re starting off 2025 by having a clear out and sharing some leftovers and beer pairings we think you should try.  We love a bit of food and beer pairing, and this felt like the perfect way to clean out our fridges! Do you have chocolate, cheese and snacks left over from Christmas?  We try out a variety of beers with these foods so you don’t have to!

We also set our personal beer goals and…. DRUMROLL!!... We put together our own beer challenge for 2025!  It only took us a year to make it happen!

You can download a PDF with all 40 prompts and join us in this challenge – let us know if you are taking part and which prompt you are most excited to complete!

Check out the challenge list here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KMP2T9RRaaM8XA-jbj4XIyu-QCvX56iD/view?usp=drive_link

If you want to give Jo’s Valentines beer & chocolate pairing kit a go, you can find it here:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1386712002/valentines-beer-and-chocolate-pairing?click_key=05112d3afaef6d2e57a58d55775b5dcaec8bb1ec%3A1386712002&click_sum=9b98f4c5&ref=shop_home_active_4

Or the regular beer & chocolate pairing kit here:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1163176689/beer-and-chocolate-pairing-kit-beer-and?click_key=7d51e7be7c0a9693b51e189869577ccc31206ffa%3A1163176689&click_sum=c74d5793&ref=shop_home_active_2

Get in Touch:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.lovebeerlearning.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awomansbrew/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWomansBrew

Tori: @adventures_in_hoptimism

Joanne: @lovebeerlearning

Support us: https://ko-fi.com/awomansbrew

Join our 2025 drinking challenge here

Subscribe:

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Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Strap in kids – this is a long one, and rightly so! We look back at 2024 and all the great things that have happened along the way for A Woman’s Brew

We look at our Untappd stats, our Spotify Wrapped for the podcast, how well we did with the Drink Harder Challenge and did we achieve our 2024 beer goals.

We’re thinking about what our goals should be for 2025 – what do you want to see us try?  And what are your goals for the new year?  Let us know!

Get in Touch:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.lovebeerlearning.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awomansbrew/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWomansBrew

Tori: @adventures_in_hoptimism

Joanne: @lovebeerlearning

Support us: https://ko-fi.com/awomansbrew

Subscribe:

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Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Gather ‘round, dear listeners, because this episode is all about embracing the festive spirit! We’ve selected three seasonal brews with traditional flavours to sample, alongside asking our AI overlords to come up with unique gifts for the craft beer lover in your life – how do you think they will do?

We raise our glasses to discuss a mulled dark cherry sour and gingerbread latte stout from Vault City and a plum porter from Holy Goat. We'll also touch on the fascinating history of beer in holiday traditions, from Viking offerings to Odin to the modern-day beer advent calendars.

And if quirky Christmas customs tickle your fancy, we've got tales of mischievous trolls and roller-skating to mass in Venezuela.  What are your Christmas traditions and what does your beer lineup look like for the festive season?  Let us know!

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays to you all!

 Here is Jo's post about DIY beer advent calendars:https://lovebeerlearning.co.uk/lovebeerlearningblog/how-to-create-a-diy-beer-advent-calendar

Get in Touch:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.lovebeerlearning.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awomansbrew/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWomansBrew

Tori: @adventures_in_hoptimism

Joanne: @lovebeerlearning

Support us: https://ko-fi.com/awomansbrew

Subscribe:

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Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

This week we are joined by the one and only Tom Bacon!  Previously from Meantime, Peroni, Brew York and Wander Beyond, Tom has a plethora of beer industry stories and plenty of ‘opinions’!

The Great Dive Bar Debate is finally resolved (maybe!) and we talk beer stashes, Untappd, what you should do if you get a beer with a fault in a bar, and what’s better filtered or unfiltered?

Tom recommends his favourite taprooms, bars, breweries and events of 2024 and shares his favourite stories with us.

Does Tom need to have a regular spot to air his ‘opinions’?!  Let us know!

Get in Touch:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.lovebeerlearning.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awomansbrew/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWomansBrew

Tori: @adventures_in_hoptimism

Joanne: @lovebeerlearning

Support us: https://ko-fi.com/awomansbrew

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Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Let’s have a catch up!  Tori and Jo have been on their travels and share with you their experiences of Brau Beviale in Nuremberg and The British Guild of Beer Writers Awards in London.  Did you know we were shortlisted for two awards?!  We didn’t win, but that just makes us more determined for next year!

Tori also visited Manchester and gives you her top tips for places to visit.  Jo visited Glasgow for the Glasladies Beer is for Everyone festival and saw a bunch of our fave people.  Finally, we chat about when you should buy beer, how long you should keep it and remind you not to be a dick on Untappd!

What have you been up to listeners?  Let us know!

Get in Touch:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.lovebeerlearning.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awomansbrew/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWomansBrew

Tori: @adventures_in_hoptimism

Joanne: @lovebeerlearning

Support us: https://ko-fi.com/awomansbrew

Subscribe:

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Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

This week, we dive into the magical world of IPAs with Tartarus Beers’ captivating goddess-themed tasting challenge. We'll unravel the mystique of three mysterious IPAs, each with a secret ingredient twist. As we embark on this flavourful journey, we promise to bring you along for every sip, sniff, and guessing game.

Our tasting session is set against the backdrop of breathtaking artwork, each label part of a grander piece of art, offering more than just a beverage but a visual feast as well.

Join us as we explore the complex profiles of these IPAs, dissecting their aromas and flavours. From fresh orange juice notes that evoke memories of an orange creamsicle, to the bitter grapefruit tang, and even hints of tangerine and cranberry. We'll debate hopping techniques, potential yeast strains, and the influence of dry hopping on these intriguing brews.

This episode is more than a tasting challenge; it's an exploration of the sheer fun and unpredictability that comes with uncovering the unique elements of craft beers. Expect a lot of laughter, a bit of friendly competition, and a keen attention to the subtleties that make each beer unique.

Check out the beers here:

https://www.tartarusbeers.co.uk/products/goddess-set-4-dike-eunomia-eirene-6-x-440ml-cans

Have you tried the beers in the Goddess series?  What do you think the difference is?

Get in Touch:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.lovebeerlearning.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awomansbrew/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWomansBrew

Tori: @adventures_in_hoptimism

Joanne: @lovebeerlearning

Support us: https://ko-fi.com/awomansbrew

Subscribe:

Watch:

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Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com