One of the latest brews to pour out of Metro Vancouver’s bustling craft beer industry has a special ingredient: it’s the product of collaboration between women.
It’s the second time women working at New Westminster's Steel & Oak have gotten together to develop a brand new beer with partial proceeds going to charity.
"Talanoa" is a wheat ale incorporating black currant and rosemary.
Sales will benefit the Kettle Society, which helps people with mental health issues and other challenges.
The creation of Talanoa was a whole new experience for tasting room manager Shelley Marshall.
“We came in on a Sunday and worked with one of the brewers and from start to finish, we were here," Marshall said.
The group planned out the recipe and participated in the brewing.
“It was good, right from throwing the grains in to putting them in the big cooker to transferring into the big vats so it can age,” Marshall said.
She noted the name Talanoa is a Fijian word with a meaning that somewhat mirrors the beer’s creation process.
“It’s one word that describes a process in communication through storytelling and working together to make good decisions for the greater good,” Marshall said.
“Spending a whole day together was really wonderful and it really drives home why we’re doing this: to communicate and be with other women and help other people.”
Talanoa officially launched on March 7th, the day before International Women’s Day.
