Alewives & the Witch Myth, by Mal
- Rosko's Brew House
- 9 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Intro
Now that it’s October and Halloween time, I [Mallory] wanted to share some research I did for a public speaking class at Lycoming College. Working at Rosko’s over the summer has allowed me to use skills that I have and learn new things at the same time. I love history and have been working up to this blog all summer.
Who Were the Alewives?
Alewives were women who, from medieval times into the early modern era, brewed ale for their households and communities. Brewing was considered both domestic labor and an entrepreneurial opportunity for women to earn income and gain limited autonomy. Often widows or single women, alewives ran small-scale brewing operations, at times dominating the trade before industrialization and regulatory changes edged them out.
The Witch Myth: Where Did It Come From?
There is a persistent and popular story that the image of the modern Halloween witch; pointy hat, cauldron, cat, broom derives from alewives persecuted for brewing. The narrative claims that as women brewers gained economic power, male rivals and social authorities accused them of witchcraft to drive them from business. Historians and beer experts, including Nurin and Dr. Christina Wade, have scrutinized this claim and concluded that while the symbols overlap, there’s little evidence women were systematically accused of witchcraft just for brewing ale.
Why the Stereotypes Overlap
Pointy Hats: Alewives may have worn tall hats at markets to stand out and signal their trade, making them visible to customers.
Cauldrons: Large vessels were essential for brewing, thus ever-present in alewives’ homes.
Broomsticks (Alestakes): A broom or pole outside the door meant ale was ready for sale, functioning as an advertisement.
Cats: Cats kept grain stores rodent-free, a practical necessity for a brewer.
Marginality and Suspicion: Both alewives and “witches” were typically women living at social margins (widows, outsiders), making them targets for fear and gossip. Add superstition about fermentation (“magical” transformation) and the stage was set for suspicion.
What Really Happened?
No Mass Witch Purges for Brewing: Most witch hunts and accusations in medieval and early modern Europe focused on supposed “maleficium” (harmful magic), heresy, or social deviation—not brewing. Studies of trial records reveal no pattern of alewives being singled out as witches simply due to their profession.
Smear Campaigns and Sexism: As regulations changed and brewing became more profitable, women were gradually pushed out and often depicted in satirical engravings and moralist literature as unclean, greedy, or even devilish. These works contributed to the idea of female brewers as both temptresses and delinquents—an image later conflated with witch tropes.
Lasting Impact
The “alewife-as-witch” myth, while not technically proven, persists because it feels plausible and draws on real themes of misogyny and economic gatekeeping. Today’s beer world, with more women reclaiming brewing roles, continues to grapple with historical stereotypes and strives to rewrite the narrative, honoring the alewives’ overlooked legacy.
The next time a witch raises her cauldron, remember that while history’s real alewives weren’t driven from the brewhouse by witch hunts, their story is a powerful symbol of how women’s work, power, and independence have long been magical enough to scare the establishment.
Rosko's is a proud supporter of women in brewing!