By Lundy Dale - Pink Boots Canada
HOW DID YOU DISCOVER YOUR PASSION FOR BEER & THE INDUSTRY?
My partner got me into craft beer 11 years ago when he worked at a liquor store. I went to see him before a house party to “get beer that no one would steal”; haha.
While lots of other folks at the party were into fruited wheat ales, my partner knew I loved coffee and instead steered me towards Midnight Sun Espresso Stout from Yukon Brewing. That moment launched my foray into beer – and he was right, no one tried to steal my beer at that party (but a few months later when our friends also got into craft beer that changed)
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN YOUR PRESENT POSITION AT RED SHED?
2 years! Woah the time flies by!
HOW WERE YOU TRAINED IN BEER?
I have trained with the support of great folks across the industry - networking and picking the brains of people smarter than I have been my go-to training! For the Ologies Podcast fans, “ask smart people stupid questions” is a personal mantra of mine - I learn so much by conversing with passionate people. Through those conversations, I found all kinds of formal training that have been great also:
• My local homebrew club: I’ve been able to take part in their education programs like a BJCP prep class, lectures from beer/cider experts, and off-flavour training.
• Pink Boots! Some great resources and events, like taking part in a Pink Boots brew day, having access to scholarships and lectures, as well as attending volunteer events to represent women of fermented beverages in the community.
• Local breweries/cideries/meaderies run events! Watch for off-flavour tastings,
Beer/Cider/Mead 101 classes.
• Ingredients suppliers! Many of them run tours, and host events like crop update talks, hop rubs, hive tours, orchard walks, or malt hop steeps.
Morgan Flegg at Tailgunner Brewing, Calgary, AB
WHAT TYPES OF EDUCATION HAVE YOU TAKEN OVER THE YEARS?
I’m a Certified Beer Server and have been studying to take the Certified Cicerone exam for a few years now. To learn the styles really well, I got sucked into the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) and am currently a Certified Judge working to get my National Judge rank! I’ve also taken the BJCP Mead Judge exam (just waiting for my mark back,) and will be taking their Cider Judge exam in May 2023.
In December of 2021, I attended Malt Academy with the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I highly recommend the program if you’re interested in a deep dive into the grains for brewing and distilling!
For good measure, I also have my WSET I, but I don’t get the opportunity to work with wine nearly as often (no malt in wine - yet! Haha.)
WITH ALL THE TRAVELLING YOU DO, DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVOURITE
LOCATIONS?
Yes! While I call Alberta home, I’ve spent a lot of time travelling across the prairies this past year. Here are some highlights from my travels in 2022::
BC
• Windfall Cider - Sweater Weather Rye Barrel-Aged Cider
• Twin Island Cider - everything they make! If you love wine/cider hybrids *Chef’s Kiss*
• Dageraad - Burnabarian Belgian-Style Session Ale
• Four Winds - Greg West Coast IPA
Alberta
• Chinook Arch Meadery - Fire ‘N’ Spice Mead
• Uncommon Cider - Sweetwood Mac Semi-Sweet Cider
• Blindman Brewing - Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison
• Annex Ale Project - Sponsored Content Flanders Red-style
Saskatchewan
• Prairie Bee Meadery - Traditional Bee Dry Mead
• Crossmount Cider Co - Flatlander Crisp Sparkling Cider
• Nokomis - Zig Zag Brett Saison
• 9 Mile Legacy - No.1 Durum Wheat Ale German Weissbier
Manitoba
• Dead Horse Cider Co - Forbidden Orchard Chardonnay Barrel-Aged Dry Cider with Phantasm powder (collab w/ Kilter Brewing)
• Low Life Barrel House - Kiss Kiss Apricot Brett Saison
• Little Brown Jug Brewing - Dry Cider (and their Dubbel as well!)
DO YOU FEEL YOUR ROLE HAS OR COULD BE OF HELP IN GETTING MORE
WOMEN INVOLVED?
For sure. Agriculture is also male-dominated, and malting sometimes feels like it’s centered between a rock and a hard place in that way.
I’m often hopping in and out of breweries and distilleries, so I’m fortunate in that I get to make friends all over the country. When someone is looking to solve a problem, I can often recommend a solution - either something that already exists because of the women that have gone before me and opened doors for accessing
knowledge or helping to create a solution if it isn’t available in that area yet.
Morgan Flegg was a part of one of the 2022 Pink Boots Hop Rub selection groups in Canada. This one was at Prairie Dog Brewing in Calgary, AB.
WHEN DID YOU JOIN PINK BOOTS, AND HAVE YOU BEEN A PART OF A PINK BOOTS BREW DAY? WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN?
I joined in 2019, and I’ve had the pleasure to attend a few Pink Boots Brews and found them really great for seeing the brewing process live and being involved in every step of the brew day. It also can’t be said enough - getting to meet and talk to others going through the same experiences you may have had, and getting to problem-solve larger issues together is a huge draw for me as a member. I only know what I know, so getting to experience a safe space to ask big questions, further my knowledge, and create relationships in our industry is essential for my own growth and development.
ANY GOALS FOR YOURSELF?
There are a few! Here’s my shortlist for 2023:
- Take my BJCP National Written Exam
- Take my BJCP Cider Exam
- Take the Certified Cicerone written + tasting exams
- Knit some more socks
- Take an off-continent vacation! 😎 (Any guesses where I’m headed?)
HAVE A STORY TO SHARE?
Sharing stories of how our fabulous members found fulfilling careers is one of the best ways to inspire each other - and a lovely way to get to know the unique individuals that make up our Canadian Membership!
Advocate for yourself! Reach out to marketing@pinkbootscanada.ca if you’re interested in sharing your experience, or nominating a fellow member to be featured in a future newsletter.