March is Women’s History Month, and the Pacific Northwest is rich with examples of women who have shaped the fermentation industry — through both unconventional and traditional avenues.
Before retiring to Bellingham, Emmie May Binns became legendary for her Prohibition-era rum-running aboard “The Malahat,” the notorious “floating liquor warehouse” that supplied beer and whiskey to the entire West Coast. Similarly, Seattle’s “Queen of the Bootleggers” Elise Olmstead is rumored to have used her nightly children’s radio program to transmit coded messages to rum-running boats hiding from authorities among the San Juan Islands.
While the days of illicit trade may be long past, Bellingham’s beer scene today is thriving — and at the heart of it are the women shaping its future. From brewers to business owners, they are driving innovation, crafting award-winning beers and redefining leadership in an industry that has long been male-dominated.
Karolina Lobrow, Otherlands Beer
2121 Humboldt St., Bellingham
When co-founder Karolina Lobrow first dreamed up Otherlands Beer, she envisioned a space that would feel like stepping into a story — an intimate, cozy pub plucked from the pages of “Redwall” or “Lord of the Rings.”
“If you were to open up your favorite novel and walk into a little pub in that novel, what would it look like and feel like?” Lobrow mused. The answer is Otherlands: fairy-lit, warm and welcoming, and designed as a gathering place where strangers become friends over hearty food and exceptional craft beer.
But Otherlands isn’t just about aesthetics. Lobrow has been deliberate about creating a space that embraces feminine energy, both in design and culture.
“This space is feminine in a big way,” she said.
Otherlands is a place where women, nonbinary folks, and people who might not typically feel at home in a stereotypical beer bar can settle in without pretense. That energy extends to her staff as well — Otherlands has some of the highest employee retention in the local industry, something Lobrow credits to a deep culture of care.
“We are really grateful to the people we have here, and we’re also really proud of the fact that they stick around for us. It’s one of our biggest accomplishments,” she said.
Alex Boada, North Fork Brewery
6186 Mt. Baker Highway, Deming
At North Fork Brewery, brewer Alex Boada takes an inventive approach to her craft, blending tradition with the unexpected. She’s created everything from a Venezuelan-style lager packed with corn to Gravity Witch, a double IPA that started as a happy accident, to her latest experiment — plantain beer inspired by a dish from Venezuela, where she grew up.
“I just like doing weird stuff,” she said, emphasizing that creativity keeps brewing exciting.
Boada’s boss is fully on board, encouraging her unconventional ideas, whether it’s incorporating hibiscus and beets or purposefully skunking a pilsner in the sun.
“Most brewers would call me insane,” she said, “but we’re going for it.”
Layne Carter, Aslan Brewing
1330 N. Forest St., Bellingham
Layne Carter, chief operating officer at Aslan Brewing, has spent the past decade immersing herself in every facet of Bellingham’s beer culture, from journalism and bar management to brewing and sales.
“We walk the walk, not just talk the talk,” she says, emphasizing Aslan’s commitment to environmental responsibility through their Organic and B Corporation certifications.
Take, for instance, Aslan’s Frauenbier, a schwarzbier brewed in collaboration with the women of Aslan. More than just a well-crafted lager, Frauenbier serves as an opportunity to educate women across the brewery’s different departments about beer-making, ensuring that brewing knowledge is accessible to anyone who wants it.
Aslan is unique in having multiple women brewers and many women in leadership — something Carter sees as part of a broader, long-overdue shift in the industry.
“We’re seeing more female and nonbinary brewers than ever before, and that’s not just good for diversity — it’s good for beer,” she said. Carter sees beer as a means of connection: “People need gathering places now more than ever.”
Jacquie Goddard, Structures Brewing
601 W. Holly St., Bellingham
Jacquie Goddard, general manager of Structures Brewing, has helped shape one of the city’s most respected breweries of high-quality IPAs and precise lagers. With a background in beer management, event planning and curation, she leads with a focus on quality, collaboration and team culture.
Goddard noted that when the Bellingham Beer Alliance first convened, more than half of the breweries’ chosen representatives were women, a striking shift from when she first arrived in town nearly a decade ago.
“People still ask who the male manager is,” she said, “but the more visible we are, the more that changes.”
Mari Kemper, Chuckanut Brewery
11937 Higgins Airport Way, Burlington
Mari Kemper, co-founder of Chuckanut Brewery, has been a foundational figure in Bellingham’s brewing culture, championing German-style lagers long before they became a regional trend. When Chuckanut opened in 2008 during the financial crisis, lagers were rare in American craft beer due to their labor-intensive process, but Kemper and her husband Will saw an opportunity to introduce a refined, food-friendly approach.
Their dedication paid off: Chuckanut quickly gained national recognition, winning Small Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival — twice — on the strength of its lagers. Over the years, many brewers who trained at Chuckanut have gone on to shape Bellingham’s next generation of breweries, carrying forward Kemper’s commitment to tradition and quality.
Now, as lagers enjoy a resurgence, Chuckanut’s influence is undeniable.
Annie Wylde is a writer and book editor based in Bellingham. She lives on a pre-Prohibition era apple orchard, and when she's not reading and foraging at home, she's out prowling the corners of Whatcom and Skagit counties for creative beverages and interesting stories to share.
