PussyCat Beer Guild brings women, beer together

The PussyCat Beer Guild (PCBG) is a place for women to talk and bond over their shared love for craft beer. The Guild meets at 6 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month at HopCat, the inception place of the group.

One of the oldest women-only beer guilds in America, PCBG has been around since July 2008. Michelle Sellers, co-owner of HopCat at the time, began the group as a way for women beer enthusiasts to come together and discuss their interests. 

“If you want to know something and you think it’s a dumb question, this is a safe place to answer it,” says Sheryl Rose Marshall, who is currently in charge of the group.

Marshall has been homebrewing for 20 years. She also writes for MittenBrew Magazine and volunteers for the Pink Boots Society. Marshall is involved with all chapters of the PCBG: Grand Rapids, East Lansing as well as the up-and-coming Ann Arbor and Detroit groups. 

The Grand Rapids chapter usually sees around 25 to 30 women at meetings, but there are well over 200 members on the groups’ Facebook page. 

The meetings usually begin with business matters, such as events coming up and things to take care of, but throughout the night the meeting gets more casual, turning into a group discussion with everyone taking part. The women range in age, from less experienced beer drinkers to women who are very knowledgeable about beer, making the group inviting for women at all age and experience levels.

Every three months, the group tackles a particular topic to have deep discussion about. In previous years they have dissected beer- from the water to the hops- to learn about it more in-depth and apply to their beer making and tasting. Occasionally the meetings will host an expert in the field to talk about different aspects of beer and the community. 

Along with their monthly meetings, the group will often attend events together, such as the Winter Beer Festival and Irish on Ionia. 

They also hosts home brew days, where members are invited to each other’s homes to teach each other and learn how to properly make home brewed beer. 

PCBG aims to brew a beer as a chapter once a year. This year they've created a beer called S'more Sassiness that was showcased by the group at the Winter Beer Festival. It’s a double stout with hints of marshmallow and chocolate, like a bona fide s’more. 

The group has just begun a formal dues-based membership. To be eligible for membership, a woman must attend four meetings out of every six months. Membership is $90 per year, which comes with a multitude of benefits, whether it be a discount on beer from HopCat each meeting to free admission to different beer events throughout the year. 

PCBG is very active on their Facebook page for anyone that wants to learn more about the events they will hold and attend.