No Boys Allowed at Girls' Pint Out

"We're gals into grolsch. Ladies into lagers. Princesses into pilsners. Angels of ale. You get the idea." - Girls Pint Out homepage.

We all seemed to arrive at the same time on Tuesday night. A collective groan emerged from the crowd as the pathway over the railroad tracks that separate Saint Arnold Brewing Company from the parking lot became obscured by crossing bars, a single, slow-moving headlight growing larger in the distance. But then a funny thing happened. The train jerked and screeched to a noisy halt--and the conductor emerged to smile and wave us across. Apparently, a large pack of beer-lovin' women is enough to stop a freight train.

And judging by the turnout at Tuesday evening's event -- there are a lot of beer-lovin' women in Houston. Three hundred tickets for the female-only event ($10 included entry, a signature pint glass, a ticket for a fresh-baked giant pretzel and unlimited beer) sold out in less than 24 hours.

Jennifer Litz, head of the Houston chapter of Girls' Pint Out, and Nena Reith.

Attendees also had the opportunity to chat with female representatives from DeFalco's Home Wine & Beer Supplies and various home brew clubs, including The Brewsers, The Foam Rangers, the Kuykendahl Gran Brewers, and The Bay Area Mashtronauts. ("Houston...we have beer!"). According to Ginger Wotring of the Mashtronauts, a home brewer for more than 23 years, "It's very hard to make a good wine at home. It's very easy to make a good beer."

The gathering was arranged through a partnership with Girls' Pint Out, a national organization, "...that seeks to promote a sophisticated level of beer appreciation among women, and bolster the craft beer industry in general." Jennifer Litz, head of the Texas chapter, was delighted by the attendance, but not surprised. "While women currently only account for roughly 30 percent of craft beer consumption, that number is on the rise and there is obviously a need for gatherings like this."

We can't wait for the next one. Pints & Pedis, perhaps?