Meet the host of India's first and only podcast for beer enthusiasts

Founder of the Cheers Chatty podcast Chatty Girija on how the brewing industry is coming full circle for women

For a tipple as social as beer, it’s uncharacteristic to be exclusive, as one would logically assume. Yet it’s no surprise that the brewing industry, both at home and internationally, continues to be male-dominated. Right from brewing to sipping, the beverage continues to be disproportionately linked with men on both ends of the consumption-production spectrum. But did you know that the first beer recipe known to be written, circa 1800, was for the Sumerian goddess of beer in Mesopotamia? Few would know that at the beginning of beer’s 5000-year-old history, brewing was traditionally associated with women. And now, a clutch of women in the industry are claiming their stake once again to make the brewing world a more inclusive place.

One of the women at the forefront of this endeavour in India is Chatty Girija, host of the country’s first and only podcast around beer, Cheers Chatty, streaming on Spotify. “Life is coming full circle for one of the oldest beverages of civilisation that was originally brewed by women,” she says in a conversation with Vogue India. The beer writer, podcaster, and influencer’s audio series “is a full-bodied tribute to beer” as well as the women making an impact on it. From brewers to tasters, mixologists and beer enthusiasts, the 50-year-old invites a range of influential guests on her show to narrate their personal and professional journeys. We caught up with the beer versatilist to better understand the place of women in the world of hops, malt and yeast. 

 Tell me your earliest memories with beer. What drew you to it, and what inspired you to start a podcast around the tipple?

It certainly wasn't love at first sip with beer. My earliest memories were trying the drink in college and when I first gulped down a few sips, I hated it for its bitter taste. I moved to other spirits with little attention given to beer. Then came a time when I preferred drinking it because of its lower alcohol content and I found that it made me feel cheerful. That’s when I started liking and finally falling in love with the carbonated brew. Slowly and steadily beer went on to occupy a high place as a professional passion. The more I started to love it, the more I wanted to discover, humanise and spread the message of beer virtues to the world. 

After a feature writer stint, I wanted to explore an emerging platform and podcasting was the answer. That’s how Cheers Chatty was born and the name says it all. What really surprised me was how comfortable I got designing, researching, hosting, and the ease of my guests in my podcast. At almost 100 podcasts in 1½ years, I feel a lifetime is not enough to drink beer, know everything about the sacred brew and appreciate the crafters that make the world a cheerful place to live in.

Your podcast features quite a diverse line-up of women. What’s your process for curating this list?

My aim is to give the unsung heroes of the beer industry a voice to narrate their journey (personal and professional). My line-up is mostly based on word of mouth and the fact that a woman is in a male-dominated industry, especially alcohol, she is already a true winner. 

It’s my privilege and pleasure to feature the women and gain insights into their inspirational journeys. Most importantly, most of them come from small towns and humble backgrounds. I appreciate their larger than life dreams and their will to achieve against all odds. In fact, we have established a personal connection where we interact on personal milestones as an aftermath of the podcast. Communication is not always about commercial-led promotions—relationship building is the final take-out.

What are your views on the current state of women in the brewing industry and how do you see the space evolving in the near future?

Today, like any other profession, women are taking the centre-stage in the beer industry as well. A look at the number of women founded beer companies, senior professionals, managers, brewsters and even communication specialists says it all. 

Humans have been drinking beer for almost 5,000 years, and the original brewers were women. From the Vikings to the Egyptians, women brewed beer both for religious ceremonies and to make a practical, calorie-rich beverage for the home. The point I’m trying to make is that brewing beer is not an alien concept to women. We might add the layer of societal acceptance, culture and self-fermented ethics to control them. The crux is very simple: they were the gender that brewed beer, continue to do so and will do so. 

With the emergence of craft beers, new beer styles, growth of the microbrewery industry, urban and international exposure is further adding more barrels of women to the industry. No doubt, patriarchy exists to a certain extent and women have to work harder to prove themselves, but nothing is and will stop them. 

Did you have trouble breaking through in a male-dominated industry? And have you had any brushes with sexism here?

Not at all. I have never been subject to male dominance. In fact, most of the men I interact with are extremely encouraging and forthcoming. I guess my professional advertising background serves as a strong foundation to find my way and interact and get my way around in the beer industry as well.

Brewing is a pretty offbeat career to have. Tell me about your creative process. Where do you seek inspiration for different flavours?

I start with the ‘beer is in everything’ thought process and after that, it’s a tankful of ideas. I think the biggest advantage I have is my creative bent of mind—I think visual and from a human perspective. My advertising profession and love for beer keeps me constantly thinking of new ideas that are relatable to the general public at large. I place beer in most situations and that triggers my creative process. And yes, I believe my sense of humour is always one for the road.

Right from the notion that women prefer sweeter beers to the drink being stereotypically associated with men, what are some of the myths around women and beer that you’d like to debunk for our readers?

Myth 1: Women don't like beer. Like I said earlier, it may not be love at first sip, yet it grows over time. Including me, I know of women who swear by beer and believe in exercising their elbow in the company of beer.

Myth 2: Women can’t lift kegs. Take a stroll around breweries and I rest my case.

Myth 3: Women don't drink IPAs. The assumption is women prefer sweeter beer and avoid anything that flows towards the bitter palette. Craft beer manufacturers and microbreweries are experimenting with IPA variants that contain floral, fruity, herbs and spicy flavours and women love them. Women by nature are experimenters.

This article originally appeared on Vogue.in