Women, Ale, and Witchcraft

The Influence of Men on the Brewing Industry and the Perception of Alewives

Abstract

The brewing industry, once dominated by women who held titles such as Alewives and Brewsters, was a source of economic independence and autonomy. As Beer and Ale became more popular by the fourteenth century, the growing demand for these beverages attracted male interest in a previously female-dominated trade. Recognizing that women's success in brewing threatened patriarchal structures, men sought to discredit and exclude women through laws, social pressures, and violent punishment. This paper examines how the industrialization of brewing and its profitability led to the suppression of women, who were vilified as witches in literature and art, such as in The Tunning of Elynour Rummyng and woodcarvings like Mother Louse and The Sorceress. Women were persecuted during the witch trials, and their contributions to the brewing industry were erased, leaving behind a history that obscured their role in its development.