I recently got in contact with a person who is a craft beer enthusiast, home brewer, as well as an aspiring artisan cheese maker. If that doesn't make them sound busy enough, they are about to start a craft beer club...ladies only.

That's right; Lisa Colburn is beginning a Tampa  Bay chapter of Barley's Angels, a craft beer club where women can learn more about craft beer, brewing and gain an overall knowledge of one of the fastest moving scenes in the beverage world. I had a few questions for Lisa, who thankfully took the time to answer them and it went a little bit like this:

After doing some research, I came to find out that Barley's Angels is actually an international organization. How did you first hear about them and what made you decide to open a chapter yourself?

I first heard about Barley's Angels about a month ago while I was home for a family reunion in Wisconsin. The local news had a segment on women brewers in Minnesota. Of 50 breweries there were only 3 female brewers, which hit home with me. I recalled a time when I had applied for a position as a server at a chain of brewpubs. I am a craft beer enthusiast, home brewer and Cicerone certified beer server, but when I stated that I would be interested in eventually learning large-scale brewing they looked at me like I was crazy and the manager at the next table almost fell off of his stool. Barley's Angels was highlighted in that same news clip and I knew that this group was something I needed to be a part of, and if there was not one functioning in the Tampa Bay area yet, that I was going to start one!

What should women expect from these meetings?

Definitely some high quality craft beer. Outside of that, every meeting has to have an educational aspect. Whether it be learning about a particular style of beer, or how beer is made and the history of beer, or a simple lesson on beer and food pairing. There will also always be some form of food to slow the absorption of alcohol so that everyone will make it home safely after the meeting.

Is this type of group more for the experienced craft drinking lady or is it welcoming to any women?

Absolutely all women are welcome That is the goal really--to get the novice craft beer drinker who may just want to learn about beer styles tasting right alongside say, someone who works in the industry and wants to get in touch with what the common woman is drinking, or someone who may want to work in the industry and doesn't know how to get started. I think it's a fantastic idea to give them a place where they can co-mingle and learn from each other and have fun while they are at it!

When and where will you host the first meeting? How long will it run for? How often do you plan on hosting meetings?

I am proud and thrilled to report that we just finalized our first meeting date and location! It is going to be September 17th at Southern Brewing and Winemaking. Exact time is still TBD. Special thanks to Cindy at Southern for being so awesomely helpful and accommodating. There is no set meeting length--it will run as long as people are enjoying themselves (or until Southern kicks us out). Meetings will be held monthly at various locations around the Bay area on a Tuesday or Thursday pending what works best for the venue.

Is there anything you can advise women who are interested in joining Barley's Angels?

Bay Area Barley's Angels updates and meeting information can be found on Facebook or I can be reached by email at bayareabarleysangels@live.com. We currently have 32 chapters in 6 countries--including 3 more in Florida--which can be located at http://barleysangels.org/.

Rebecca Vars, ABC Fine WIne & Spirits Beer Consultant - Tampa

Follow her on Twitter @abcbeerrebeccav