FERNDALE, Mich. (WWJ) – The craft beer scene is expanding at hyper speed and with all of the new styles, trends and terms, it can be a bit overwhelming.
Girls Pint Out is trying to give women everywhere a place to gather and go beyond that part of craft beer.
Dani Fracassa, co-head of the Detroit chapter of Girls Pint Out, says her organization is all about getting together with other women, drinking beer and enjoying company.
“It exists to encourage women to be involved in the craft beer community and industry, come together and enjoy this thing that is here for us and to make us feel connected,” she told WWJ’s Zach Clark.
Girls Pint Out was founded in Indianapolis in 2010 and has rapidly spread to 40 different states, with more than 100 chapters nationwide – eight of which are in Michigan. Whether it’s just a night to get together for a few pints and some conversation, or to make crafts or raise money for a cause, Fracassa says the organization is all about a sense of community.
On Feb. 1, the Detroit chapter gathered at Urbanrest Brewing Co. in Ferndale to support a fundraiser for Oliver’s Foundation, a dog rescue organization in Detroit. The event marked the end of "Dry January" and another reason to get together for a good hangout.
Fracassa, who is taking beer cicerone courses, says she’s trying to learn the ins and outs of the industry to be able to help other women at Girls Pint Out really dig into the industry.
“I have been places where I try to ask a question and I get 'the eye roll.' That's really not fair -- it shouldn't be like that. I want to learn about what you do, why can't you just tell me about what I want to know?” she said. “I want to be able to answer them when they have a quesiton about 'well, what kind of hops do I like? How do I figure this out? How do I know what kind of yeast strains to back away from?' That sort of thing -- I want to help them be more comfortable with me, with beer."
A major focus of the group is simply getting more women involved in the craft beer industry, which has been predominantly male-dominated for years. For her, it’s about finding a passion and sticking to it, and she wants to help inspire others to fall in love with craft brewing.
"I went a long time as an adult without really having a hobby, without having anything that I cared a lot about. I found what I cared about with my job, which is not what I went to school for -- it's a 180-degree difference from what I went to school for -- and then with this group. Because, it turns out I can lead and I can do this stuff and I can learn and I want to keep learning and I want to keep teaching women what I've learned,” Fracassa said.
"I for sure would like to see an all-female run brewery, women in the front, women stirring the mash, making food or not making food, serving the beer, taking the money, cleaning the tables at night. I want to see something that's all women 24 hours a day,” she said.
Fracassa says she’s seen her group draw in women as young as 21 and women well into their 50s and 60s, a wide demographic that makes the camaraderie that much better.
"It's a sample platter for people. And beer,” she says.
With local chapters in Detroit, Ann Arbor and all across the state, Girls Pint Out offers a unique experience for all women, and Fracassa says they're welcoming of everyone.
For more information about Girls Pint Out, check out their website, or on Facebook, and be sure to listen to Zach Clark's full Craft Beer Conversation with Dani Fracassa: