Nottingham Venues has celebrated International Women’s Day through a collaboration with The University of Nottingham and a group of female students studying Brewing Science.

The students have worked in partnership with local companies to create a visually striking pink beer to celebrate the achievements of women in the brewing industry and raise awareness about the challenges they continue to face.

The new ‘Viva La Frida’ beer is inspired by the vibrant creativity and works of the artist Frida Kahlo and was launched on International Women’s Day (March 8th). This initiative also aims to inspire women to consider brewing as a fulfilling and enjoyable career path.

The brewing scientists have partnered with Blue Monkey brewery and Murphy and Son, a company who provide brewing supplies and consultancy for the brewing industry, to create Viva La Frida. Viva La Frida is a Belgian Wheat 4.5% ABV beer infused with coriander, orange zest and hibiscus for a vibrant pink hue. 

1000 cans of the beer are currently being sold across Nottingham Venues’ destinations (The Orchard Hotel, The East Midlands Conference Centre and The Jubilee Hotel and Conferences), while Blue Monkey will be selling another 500 cans and will be touring the kegs around the UK in Beer Festivals.

£1 from every sale of Viva La Frida cans will be donated to Juno Women’s Aid, the largest domestic abuse organisation in Nottingham that works with women, children, and teens who have been affected by domestic abuse.

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) recently reported that 30% of brewery employees are women and this drops to only 3% in brewing roles.

To shine a light on this, and the progress the industry and University is making in trying to encourage more women into the industry, PhD brewing science students, Christabel Smith and Giulia Roselli and Aline Brito (a Knowledge Transfer Partnership associate at Murphy and Son and researcher at the University) decided to create a new beer. Along with the support of Stephanie Brindley, Technical Sales Manager at Murphy and Son and the brewing team at Blue Monkey, this collaborative effort brings together a shared passion for creating a beer that not only tastes delicious but also embodies the spirit of inclusivity.

They said: “The original brewers were women, and we wanted to celebrate this history and highlight the need for more female brewers on International Women’s Day.  We joined forces with Murphy & Son and Blue Monkey to craft a beer inspired by Frida Kahlo’s endurance, creativity, and connection with nature.  We have taken a Belgian Wheat beer recipe and added our own twist with the addition of hibiscus which gives the beer a distinctive pink colour.

“As female brewing scientists in a male-dominated field, we hope this beer and the collaboration highlights the possibilities that are available to women in this industry and the support there is for them should they choose this as a career path.”

Tom Waldron-Lynch, CEO of Nottingham Venues comments: “This is a fantastic idea from the students, and we are delighted to support it through Nottingham Venues. When had a large conference happening when we launched the beer, and many guests were interested in trying it following the event and over the weekend. It has been selling well since so hopefully we will have raised a good amount of money for Juno.”   

Situated amidst 330 acres of University of Nottingham parkland, close to Nottingham city centre, The Orchard Hotel seamlessly fuses modern design with a deep-rooted commitment to the environment. The hotel has 203 comfortable bedrooms, 7 adaptable meeting spaces, and Bramleys Restaurant to ensure a complete guest experience.  

Nottingham Venues is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Nottingham, comprising of a collection of independent venues which specialise in meeting and events. Located across three of the University of Nottingham’s campuses; University Park, Jubilee and Sutton Bonington, Nottingham Venues brings all the University’s conferencing, hotel and event spaces together under one iconic brand, providing an unrivalled guest experience. 

For more information about Nottingham Venues visit: https://nottinghamvenues.com/