Move Maker Cold IPA 

I became a production brewer at Deschutes in 2008. While I was not the first, at the time I was hired I was the only woman on the production floor. When I joined the brew crew- we had a killer uniform, a green, boilersuit style set of roomy coveralls, if you can believe it. Coveralls! It was amazing, we were so ahead of today’s trend! Unfortunately, that was the tail end of the coverall era at the brewery as  the department chose to move to a work shirt and work pants uniform instead.  That is when it became apparent to me that no one was making work wear with women in mind. It felt like no one saw the few of us out there in non- traditional careers having to our hem, tailor or otherwise make modifications to make our work uniforms to fit. Enter Dovetail. 

Dovetail is a women led, women focused, PDX-based work wear company that has always put women first in creating workwear that moves as we make moves. I was thrilled to work with them on this idea for a beer project. The best thing about collaborations is when they stretch you– and the Dovetail team did just that, they inspired us, taught us, and introduced us to an amazing new set of friends.  

During our journey I was very motivated by the way Sara, co-founder and director of product development and her team create new products at Dovetail and wanted to integrate that into this beer project. Simply put it was this; involve women in every aspect you can. We wanted to create a beer that embodied both Dovetail & Deschutes cultures and values, a beer that celebrated and supported women in the craft beer industry. So many great ideas about this project came from women outside the core project group from style idea, to naming, to recipe development. We asked Dovetail customers, “If Dovetail were a beer what kind of beer would it be?” While we had a ton of unique ideas spring forward, we heard a couple of themes, refreshing, hoppy, maybe a lager, an IPA? Something you would want after a workday. Then came a very inspirational idea from Janine, a Dovetail customer -“The Demin” IPA- a reliable go-to beer.  

How could denim inspire a beer?  

I asked a group of women from the craft beer community, and we discussed the aspects of our favorite pair of jeans and gathered descriptors. Reliable and feel-good rose to the top and the threads were starting to weave together. That was it: A hoppy and crispy beer, something refreshing after a long day at work. It was time to narrow in on the beer style. Could this be a Cold IPA?  It’s a style that is growing in popularity in the PNW and this project seemed a perfect answer to the convergence of flavor experience we were going for. It’s a hoppy beer fermented cold with a lager yeast strain.  

We named the beer Move Maker after crowdsourcing name ideas. I fell in love with the name immediately- it really hits the goal of the beer project: To celebrate those who are making moves out there, those who were the first, the few, the doers, the creators, the makers. In working together on the can design we caught a glimpse into the inner workings of the Dovetail creative team- and how detail oriented and collaborative they are. It was a super fun experience to see that design come to life as a label on a 16 ounce can. 

This collaboration will benefit Pink Boots Society (PBS) whose mission is to empower women in the craft brewery industry through education. As a member of the association, I know how important it is to have a support network out there, to see other women in the industry, and to allow for growth opportunities through education and mentorship. We are honored to have had the opportunity to work with other members of PBS throughout the project- it really added a special element to it. Dovetail has additionally made PBS their beneficiary for the next couple months. You can select a donation amount at checkout when you purchase from their online store at dovetailworkwear.com. 

This beer will be brewed and packaged at our Portland Pub and available at all Deschutes owned and operated accounts- Bend & Portland OR, and Roanoke VA.  

Please join us in raising a pint to all the move makers out there and raising funds for Pink Boots. 

Many thanks to the Dovetail team for being such a source of inspiration, and for making pants that fit us women. 

Additional thanks to Paloma, Lisa, Cat, Rachel, and Brianna for your contributions to the project.