For years, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens has been honoring women in the beer industry with its International Women’s Day Beer Dinner. This year, Stone is taking it a step further by including other women in the culinary and wine industries to collaborate on the offerings. The result? A delightful three-course meal with pairings of beer and wine.
Zach Keeling, interim CEO for Stone Brewing, sees this expanded event as broadening Stone’s already inclusive environment. “Not only are we honored to celebrate women brewers and other women in the hospitality industry, but we also honor the countless other women working in roles like package design, logistics, accounting, procurement, warehouse, packaging, leadership, people leaders, marketing, and more.”
Fritzi Lara Lino is an innovation brewer at Stone and welcomes the expanded menu and libations this year as a new creative and culinary experience. “I love collaborating with hospitality, culinary, and wine-industry owners,” she says. “We’re all extremely passionate, creative women who love what we do and want to see each other succeed. This new venture was quite seamless and a great experience working on the pairings for dinner together.”
Lino, who’s been a brewer for seven years, got into it after taking a homebrewing class with her father-in-law. She tries to approach every day with humility and treat others with respect and dignity. But some days can be challenging. “There are many times where I’ve met other brewers who have big personalities and not necessarily in a good way. Dealing with egos comes with the territory at times, but I just try to let my passion and professionalism speak for itself.”
To attract and retain more women, Keeling says, “We’re making changes to equipment, resetting cultural norms and expectations, and even introducing flavor profiles that skew more towards women. It opens up the industry so that beer can be enjoyed by more people. That’s a win for all!”
Lino created a blush-colored seltzer drink for the upcoming event named Beety Betty Bom Bom. “I love beets,” she explains, “and I wanted to challenge myself to highlight an ingredient that isn’t normally thought of in a beverage. The name was inspired by the queen of Tejano music, Selena, whose music I love and find inspiring.”
Helping other women succeed in the industry is also important for Lino. “I enjoy being a mentor and am grateful for the mentors that I have had and still have now,” she says. “Additionally, I love that beer is a blank canvas. It’s where history, science, and culture meet. It’s incredibly complex and creative at the same time and it brings people together.”
The Stone International Women’s Day Beer Dinner offers an amuse-bouche appetizer, followed by a first, second, and dessert course – all with pairings of beer or wine to match. The dinner takes place Friday, March 8 from 6:30-10 pm at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens at Liberty Station. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased at https://www.stonebrewing.com/events/stone-international-womens-day-dinner.
