Where to Celebrate International Women’s Day in Boston

With curated lists of female-made wines and beers, delicious snacks by lady chefs, and more.


Last night’s snow not only looks beautiful, it’s not getting in the way of tonight’s International Women’s Day parties. Huzzah! After shoveling out, make your way to Night Shift Brewing, Kirkland Tap & Trotter, Pagu, and more Boston-area bars and restaurants to celebrate the delicious achievements of certain lady chefs, brewers, winemakers, and industry pros. Perfect for a Thursday girls night—but men are invited, too!

$1 from every pint of St. Hildegard sold will be donated to the Pink Boots Society

$1 from every pint of St. Hildegard sold will be donated to the Pink Boots Society. / Photo by Tim Oxton / Night Shift Brewing

St. Hildegard Beer Release

Women from Night Shift Brewing’s production, taproom, marketing, sales, and finance departments are making a hoppy Belgian-style ale today, as part of the Pink Boots Society fundraising brew day. Try that beer in about three weeks. But the Everett brewery also tapped a beer to celebrate International Women’s Day: Toast to ladies in beer with St. Hildegard, a dry-hopped, mixed fermentation sour ale made with the Pink Boots hop blend. One dollar from each pour goes back to the female brewing education fund. Night Shift’s Anna Jobe, Samantha Malavarca, Nicole McCollem, and Katie Miller developed St. Hildegard, named for the 12th-century German abbess, who was one of the first people to study hops and their herbal qualities. There are about 100 cases available of this beer in cans, with labels created by local illustrator Monique Aimee. It should stick around on draft at the brewery, too, and the Pink Boots fundraiser will continue as long as St. Hildegard is available. Plus, beginning tonight at 6 p.m., Night Shift ladies will be in the taproom to talk about their roles in the company.

Priced a la carte, International Women’s Day Release Party, Thursday, March 8, 6-11 p.m., Night Shift Brewing, 87 Santilli Hwy, Everett, 617-294-4233, Facebook.

(L to R) Mei Mei chef Irene Li, Pagu chef Tracy Chang and Tanuki founder Rebekah Powers, SRV pastry chef Meghan Thompson

(L to R) Mei Mei chef Irene Li, Pagu chef Tracy Chang and Tanuki founder Rebekah Powers, SRV pastry chef Meghan Thompson. / Photos by Brenda Nguyen

Lovin’ Spoonfuls Party

Industry friends will join chef-owner Tracy Chang at Pagu all month long to celebrate Women’s History Month. Things start tonight, with a party to benefit the local food-rescue nonprofit, Lovin’ Spoonfuls, and guest chefs Irene Li of Mei Mei, SRV pastry chef Meghan Thompson, Select Oyster Bar’s Michael Serpa, Whole Heart Provisions chef-owner Rebecca Arnold, and Rebekah Powers of Provincetown’s forthcoming Tanuki. Tickets will be available at the door, and include all food, one drink, and a raffle ticket to win a bundle of prizes from Myers + Chang, Gracenote Coffee, Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, Central Square Florist, and more.

$35, Thursday, March 8, 5-8 p.m., PAGU, 310 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-945-9290 Eventbrite.

Haley.Henry curated wines by female producers for tonight’s Toro industry night. / Photo provided by Haley.Henry Wine Bar

Industry Night: #LadyLit

Toro relaunches its beloved Industry Night series tonight with new, earlier hours, and the gals behind Haley.Henry Wine Bar. Beginning at 5 p.m., find three of the Downtown Crossing spot’s dishes on the menu: the famous prime rib slider, lamb tartare, and smoked trout pâté; plus a late-night bite. The wine menu features a curated selection female-produced bottles, including Trocken Riesling from winemaker Sybille Kuntz; a sparkling pet nat by California winemaker Faith Armstrong; and more.

Priced a la carte, Industry Night REMIX with haley.henry wine bar, Thursday, March 8, 5 p.m.-midnight, Toro, 1704 Washington St., Boston, 617-536-4300, Facebook.

Chef Sarah Wade of Lulu’s in Allston. / Photo via Lulu’s/Facebook.

Celebrating Women in Beer

After wrapping up their own International Women’s Day brews, many women from local breweries will unwind at Lulu’s. In conjunction with the BABES (Boston-Area Beer Enthusiasts Society), Collective Arts Brewing is hosting the women of Founders, Downeast Cider, 21st Amendment, Notch, Trillium, and more for a curated tap takeover and paired bites by Lulu’s chef Sarah Wade. The organizers ask everyone to please bring one new toiletry item, such as shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, etc., for an in-kind donation to Rosie’s Place women’s shelter.

Priced a la carte, Thursday, 6-9 p.m., Lulu’s, 421 Cambridge St., Allston, 617-787-1117, Facebook.

Dinner With Tony & Liz

For this month’s Dinner with Tony Maws, the Craigie on Main and Kirkland Tap & Trotter chef is pairing “soulful” food with female-produced wines selected by lady boss Liz Vilardi. Formerly the co-owner and wine director of the bygone Belly Wine Bar and the Blue Room, Vilardi also owns Central Bottle. Reservations are still available for the dinner—call the Kirkland Tap & Trotter at 857-259-6585 to make yours.

$95, Thursday, March 8, 6:30-9:30 p.m., the Kirkland Tap & Trotter, 425 Washington St., Somerville, 857-259-6585, Eventbrite.