How the No Half Measures collective are celebrating women in brewing

How did No Half Measures start, and what motivated you to create a space for beer-loving women in Nottingham?

It started with a beer-fuelled conversation between me and Lucy Simons, owner of The Abdication, at a beer festival. The idea was sparked a few years earlier, when we attended a talk with Jaega Wise about women in beer. An initial meeting at The Barrel Drop, with a handful of like-minded women has since turned into a community of over one hundred.

You've been working with brewers Liquid Light and Jaega Wise – how did this collaboration come about?

Myself and Lucy attended the first Women In Beer Awards in October, and had the chance to meet Jaega. We’d followed her work for a while and approached her about working with No Half Measures. Jaega was keen to brew with Liquid Light, long time supporters of ours. This will be our third brew with them.

Can you tell us what you have planned for the International Women’s Day event on Sunday 8 March, and how you hope the event will bring people together?

It’s going to be a celebration of women, beer, and of course of women in beer. We’ll have live music from some amazing artists (such as Luna and the Lime Slices), pizza, and our new brew to try. It’s an event open to all, but also a great opportunity for women to get together and discuss the challenges and experiences we face as either women in the industry or just women enthusiastic about beer. On the night we’ll raise money for Central Women’s Aid too – a very worthy cause.

What inspired you to support Nottingham Central Women's Aid with this event?

The official International Women Collaboration Brew Day is all about bringing the community together to celebrate women in beer, along with raising money for women’s causes. Nottingham Central Women’s Aid have been supporting women and children escaping abuse for over fifty years now. It’s estimated that 30% of women will experience domestic abuse, but only 20% of those report it to the police. We hope to raise money to support their amazing work, but also help with raising their profile so that women suffering know that support is available.

What challenges have you faced as a women-led collective in a traditionally male-dominated beer scene, and how have you navigated them?

There’s been the (unfortunately) expected misogynistic comment here and there, people questioning our credibility, knowledge, or even the need for such a collective in the first place. We’ve had instances of not being credited for our work and been told we are overreacting when calling out misogyny and hypocrisy within the industry. However, on the whole, we’ve been welcomed with open arms. The Nottingham beer scene is generally a really friendly space, and we’ve been given some fantastic opportunities and shown lots of support and generosity.

Are you open for new members to get involved?

Absolutely! If you’re interested in joining, please drop us a message on our socials about how to get involved.

What's next for NHM? Any other collaborations, brews or events that you're especially excited about?

We always have something in the pipeline! We aim to hold monthly socials, which include walking pub tours, pub quizzes, and the like. We have a brew day with one of our members, brewer Eloise Nicholson- Phillips, at Everards in Leicester. We are in talks of going back To Burton-On-Trent for a second brew day with Burton Bridge. We are also in the process of organising a presence at Castle Beer Festival, Nottingham Craft Beer Festival, and we will be back with our own bar at The Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival.

Join No Half Measures for their International Women’s Day fundraiser and ‘Zing Boom’ pale ale launch at the Liquid Light Taproom, from 2pm on Sunday 8 March. 

@nohalfmeasurescollective