You may have heard of them. You may have seen them over social media. And if you’re a lady who appreciates good company and a quality craft brew, then you may have already attended one of their events.

They are The Society of Beer Drinking Ladies, or SOBDL for short. The Society of Beer Drinking Ladies is a group of Toronto ladies who are extremely passionate about all things craft beer, most of all creating great experiences over a tasty pint.. or two. The Society throws regular events, known as “bevies”, hosted in secret locations, while partnering up with local craft breweries and other local vendors, pairing for an awesome time.

A very cool fact is that The Society of Beer Drinking Ladies host North America’s 1st All Lady Beer Festivals around Toronto. Yes, true story.

For the Society and its community (everyone who attends and has involvement, that is), it’s a great way to explore awesome locally crafted beers in the company of other women who also enjoy craft beer.

This is living proof that the industry has WAY MORE to offer than plaid jackets and [not-so] groomed beards. It’s also living proof that there are TONS of women who enjoy and appreciate a good beer. Amen to that!

The History & Origins

After hearing about The Society of Beer Drinking Ladies and keeping up with them on social media, I knew that I had to find out more about this group and what they were all about. Luckily enough, I was able to chat with Erica Campbell, one of the Society’s founders (there are 5 of them as an FYI) on the phone to learn more about this community, why her and her co-founders started it, and how exactly it all started.

Now this, in my opinion, is where things really got interesting. I always find it really cool and a bit of a privilege to hear about someone’s/ an organization’s backstory, but this particular story has so much to it. I think a large part of that has to do with a mixture of the Society’s novelty and also how quickly their events become so popular!

What had been planned as just a casual get together and tasting for their first event, soon turned into an event that immediately sold out in less than a day with a turnout of nearly 100 women.

Their first bevy was thrown on January 31, 2014 at the Jam Factory in Toronto. Since then, the Society has grown to hosting 6 events per year, with as many as 1200 attending some of their larger events!

Photo cred: Angela Dawson (sourced from The Society of Beer Drinking Ladies)

The Bevies (And Bevy Brews)

Bevies are more than just the Society’s events. They’re an opportunity for ladies to come together, share their common interest and love for craft beer, laugh together, meet new people, explore new beers and venues, and just have an all around great time!

For those who might be a little.. confused?.. about the word’s definition, here’s a breakdown for you:

Bevy (noun, plural bevies)

1. a group or an assemblage, especially of girls or women;

2. slang; an alcoholic drink, most commonly beer.

Still in disbelief? Here’s all the proof you’ll need.

Speaking of Bevies, it’s only natural that I talk about Bevy Brews. These are special limited ‘one-off’ beers created by various breweries. For the Society’s bevies, breweries whip up something interesting and unique. It is first come, first serve and is often the first beer people grab, as they know it will sell out quick!

For their festivals, the Society started a Battle of the Bevy Brew, where multiple breweries duke it out with one-off beers. There’s an on-line voting component and a winner is picked around 11pm!

Keep an eye out for #Bevy0035 taking place on September 29th. Tickets will be going on soon and you won’t want to miss out! If you’re wondering what you’ll be missing, here’s some (all) of their past bevies and a video below you can check out!

If you’re looking to keep up to date with The Society of Beer Drinking Ladies and follow all of their next moves then you’re in luck. You can find them being extremely active on social media @LadiesDrinkBeer (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook), on their website (ladiesdrinkbeer.com/), and likely out and about at local venues and craft breweries exploring the many tastes!

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