Goddess, Cayman’s first female-brewed beer, has made its debut across island and has inspired several of the women who helped make it to start their own brewing journeys.
The limited-edition hazy IPA beer, which packs a hefty 7.2% ABV, officially launched at Macabuca and is now on sale there, as well as at 19-81 Brewing Co., Cask and The Kitchen, and will soon be on tap at Craft F&B Co. and other venues.
Tasting notes for the beer say that “this hazy New England IPA celebrates strength, creativity and the collaborative spirit” adding, “It pours rich and creamy, opening with bright pineapple and lush stone fruit, then deepening into layers of ripe apricot. The finish snaps into a lively twist of tropical guava and pomelo, giving the beer a refreshing lift that lingers just long enough to invite another sip.”
The beer was created by a woman-only team guided by 19-81 head brewer John Mather in honour of International Women’s Day and in partnership with the UK-led Women on Tap initiative, which encourages more women to enter the brewing industry.
Creating the beer
While Mather provided his beer knowledge and expertise, it was down to the women to carry out all the work that goes into making a beer from start to finish, a laborious process that took many hours of work over several weeks.
This included weighing and milling the malt and grains, performing pH and gravity checks, adding hops, water, yeast and nutrients before fermenting, canning, labelling and packaging.
While the beer is now ready to enjoy, with 15% of profits going to the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, some team members have taken the next step into their brewing education. At least five women on the brewing team won free entry onto the renowned Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 1 award in beer course, a globally-recognised qualification that teaches the basics of beer production, styles, service, food pairing and tasting.
More than 80 breweries around the world took part in the Women on Tap event this year and the success of the Goddess project means that 19-81 is “100%” committed to taking part in the event in 2027.
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