GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Titletown Brewing Company is celebrating women in brewing by honoring a historic Green Bay brewery owner. The brewery recently added Octavia White IPA to its taproom, named after Octavia Van Dyke who owned Van Dyke brewing company in the late 1800s.
When brewer Whitney Froelich first learned about Van Dyke's story, she knew she wanted to honor her legacy. She created the Octavia White IPA, which is a blend of Van Dyke’s flagship Weisse beer with a hop blend from Yakima Chief Hops.
“I was fascinated because you never hear about women owning anything in the 1800s, much less a brewery,” Froelich said. "She inherited the brewery from her husband Louis when he passed away. They have a lot of history in the city of Green Bay and the surrounding area.”
$1 of each pint of Octavia White IPA served in the taproom goes to the Wisconsin chapter of the Pink Boots Society, a non-profit organization that helps women pursue careers in the brewing industry.
“Our mission is we assist, inspire, and empower women not only in the beer industry but all fermentables so we’ve now expanded it to wine, kombucha, spirits, mead, cidery,” said Pink Boots Society member Sue Rigler.
The collaboration is a part of the organization’s fundraiser called Collaboration Brew Day, and other breweries in the Green Bay area are participating as well.
Pink Boots Society partners with breweries all over the world. Currently, there are 533 teams throughout 15 countries. Last year, the fundraiser raised almost $300,000 that went toward scholarships for women interested in brewing.
"Yakima Chief Hops creates a blend that was specifically created and selected by our members so Yakima Chief Hops gives $3 per pound of hops sold back to Pink Boots Society," Rigler said.
With a variety of roles for for women, Froelich hopes to encourage more women to explore the brewing industry.
“Breweries need all sorts of jobs," Froelich said. "If you’re into packaging or if you’re into sales or if you’re into promotions, whatever you do, there’s probably a space for you.”
