Mountain Scene website has reported that Rachel Beer, a 36 year old from Queenstown, was told that while she was allowed to enter her home brew into the Lake Hayes A&P Show brewing competition, it would not be judged because it was a “blokes only” contest.  Far from exhibiting any concern at this antiquated stance, the Show President said he did not even know they ran a brewing contest and “did not want to comment” if the rule was sexist.

Well, I do.  It is blatantly sexist. 

There is no reason at all to exclude women from brewing contests.  Similarly, there is no need to have male and female categories or even male and mixed categories in any form of brewing competition as some have suggested for next year.  Rachel Beer, the woman whose entry “Beer’s Beer” was basically turned away, was dead right when she said “Who cares if I have or haven’t got balls?   At the end of the day a home brew is a home brew.”

The rule ignores the fact that for most of beer’s long and storied history our beloved beverage was brewed by women.  Brewsters and Ale Wives were far more common than Brewers for thousands of years.  I am sure that Tracy Banner, former head brewer at Mac’s and Speight’s, would be astonished to learn that making beer was for “blokes only."

For once, the Human Rights Commission in New Zealand appears to have it dead right with a spokesperson saying: “On the face of it, the competition may be breaching the Human Rights Act .”

The show's organisers are trying not to comment but that is increasingly not an option.  This morning, less than 24 hours after the story broke on social media, there are 21 news stories on-line including pieces from TV3 News and the New Zealand Herald.  Head of the Brewer’s Guild Dr Ralph Bungard said the rule was “ridiculous” while consumer group the Society of Beer Advocates called the organising committee "sexist dinosaurs." 

The solution seems simple:

1) The Show organisers should acknowledge the obvious – the rule is sexist.

2) They should apologise to Ms Beer.

3) The rules should be immediately changed to allow everyone to enter their beers in the one contest.  I don’t agree with the idea there should be a women’s section or a mixed section.  Beer is beer.

4) If there is time, her beers should be entered and judged in the contest, free of charge.

5) If not, she should receive free entry at next year’s contest.

It might have been different in 1892 or even 1952, but this seems a pretty simple call in 2012.

I would encourage people to head over to the Show’s Facebook Page and make their feelings known.

Cheers

Neil Miller