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WHAT IS THE BARLEY’S ANGELS?
The Barley’s Angels organization is a collection of individual chapters throughout the world that focuses on increasing craft beer appreciation for female consumers.
It was originally founded in 2011 as the consumer education section of the Pink Boots Society organization. The Pink Boots Society was inspired by a 2007 cross-country trip taken by Teri Fahrendorf and in 2008 was formalized as an international trade association of women beer professionals dedicated to furthering women’s careers in fermentation industries through scholarships and support networks.
As the Pink Boots Society grew, its identity as a professional organization and the needs of its professional members excluded beer consumers. However, recognizing that an educated female consumer base was valuable in overcoming gender stereotypes about taste and preference, members were interested in a new branch of the organization to serve as an educational and social community for female beer enthusiasts.
In 2011, Teri Fahrendorf (founder of the Pink Boots Society) and Lisa Morrison (author, original director of Barley’s Angels International, Pink Boots Society board member) led the effort to establish Barley’s Angels. On January 23rd, 2011, the first chapter of Barley’s Angels launched with a beer tasting at Rogue Ales Public House in Portland, Oregon, hosted by Megan Flynn, the publisher and editor of Beer West Magazine.
Other chapters followed, including the Chicago chapter, which was founded in September 2012. In 2012, the Pink Boots Society became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, which allowed them to raise funds and expand their educational scholarships; however, when they were granted non-profit status, they were required to split operations from the Barley’s Angels, which supported for-profit businesses through its consumer education programs.
Christine Jump became the Director of the Barley’s Angels when the organizations split; Jump was one of the original members of the Pink Boots Society. By 2016, there were 111 chapters in six countries including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Chapters continue to focus on expanding women’s appreciation and understanding of craft beer through events with beer professionals, including cooking and pairing food with beer, purchasing strategies, and sensory analysis. These events also provide opportunities for publicans, brewers, and restaurateurs to increase patronage at their businesses.
WHAT’S IN THE COLLECTION?
The Barley’s Angels Records document chapter administration, marketing and promotion, financial and banking information, and events. This is primarily an electronic collection and consists of born-digital materials (.mp4 videos, photographs, documents, websites); however, club merchandise is also included.
The administrative records include documents related to the formation and organization of new chapters, financial records and expenses documentation, incorporation and operational documents, and marketing and promotional items. Also included is the organization’s website, as well as the website and blog for the Chicago chapter. Of note are records for the 2012 trademark dispute over the original Barley’s Angels logo, which was determined to be too similar to the branding for the Charlie’s Angels television show.
Since the organization focuses on educational events, there are textual materials and photographs related to fundraisers, conferences, event planning, and photographs of chapter-specific events. Of note are records of the 2012 and 2014 Women in Beer Conferences and photographs from the Barley’s Angels Chicago and Oregon chapters. The majority of this collection is in electronic format; however, there are also three t-shirts with logos.
Reference access to materials in Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 is available upon request. Records related to the establishment and separation of the Barley’s Angels from the Pink Boots Society are found in Series 5 of the Pink Boots Society Records.
