High Demand For Herbal Craft Beer For Menopausal Women

Portsmouth Brewery of Portsmouth, New Hampshire re-releases LIBEERATION after overwhelming demand from October's initial release. For full details, read below.

The Portsmouth Brewery’s newly developed craft beer designed specifically for women experiencing menopausal symptoms is receiving international attention and strong demand, leading to a second release on December 1st.  The new brew, called LIBEERATION, was initially released in October and sold out quickly.  In a heavily male dominated industry, this is a breakthrough, says The Portsmouth Brewery Co-owner Joanne Francis. “It’s gratifying to see women enjoying LIBEERATION and celebrating this stage in life. We anticipated women who were already beer drinkers would be delighted by its complex flavor, but now it’s clear LIBEERATION is making converts out of folks who didn't think they liked beer at all."

Francis co-owns The Portsmouth Brewery and Smuttynose Brewing Company with her longtime partner, Peter Egelston, together brewing craft beer for 26 years. Francis says staffers guffawed when she first floated the idea of a brew for menopausal women since the traditional target market for craft beer is a young male consumer. “Talking about menopause in a brewery is like suggesting a tofu roast at Christmas. Let’s just say it was awkward.”  Francis says she persisted, enlisting the expertise of Head Brewer Matt Gallagher.  Says Gallagher, “It’s fantastic to see women flex their purchasing power. An added bonus is the beer is so refreshing and unique that men are loving it too.”

LIBEERATION is unique gruit style ale that is golden straw in color with light fruity, earthy flavors. It contains a combination of ingredients herbalists use to help women dealing with hormone shifts that come with age, including: Motherwort, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Stinging Nettle, Mugwort, Rose, Chickweed, and Damiana with a dose of Saphir hops in the secondary fermentation which adds a pleasant tangerine note to the finish according to Head Brewer Matt Gallagher. 

LIBEERATION will be available beginning December 1st at The Portsmouth Brewery on draught and in bottles until it runs out. There will be bottles available for a limited time in the retail store at 56 Market Street, Portsmouth NH.  www.portsmouthbrewery.com