Reclaiming Beer for Women

Equity Brewing Co. is the first and only all-women-owned craft brewery in Oklahoma. Launched in July 2021, former college dean Suzette Grillot dreamed of building a more diverse and inclusive community, one beer at a time. Teaming up with her daughter Hannah and with the help of friends, this duo has grown their brewery to a staff of eight people, which includes a kitchen, taproom and brewery staff. Inspired by their brewery name, the pair have built a brand that fosters “equity to achieve equality” as soon as one steps into their safe space.

The original plan was to open a co-working space. Did you open the co-working space and then shift to operating as a brewery?

Yes, The Third Space was a co-working safe space catering to those with marginalized identities who needed safe spaces to work, spend time, and build community. However, COVID-19 closed our doors and our sights focused on a brewery concept. We wanted to keep the mission of The Third Space as a place for all to come together, but we also wanted to make a delicious product to commune around. Thus, a beer company was born!

What was the inspiration behind creating EBC?

Equity Brewing Co. was created after learning that Oklahoma has no all-women-owned breweries. However, the company came before the product. We started Equity at the same time that we were learning to brew. Suzette brewed countless test batches in her apartment kitchen during the COVID lockdown and eventually worked her way to brewing on our 1-barrel Spike nano brewing system. This allows us to constantly experiment with different beer styles and flavors, which fulfills our mission of providing at least one beer on tap that even non-beer lovers will enjoy.

How many beer styles are on tap? 

There are about 22 different beers, seltzers and ciders on tap at all times at Equity. It’s important to have different options for folks who may not be your average beer drinker and are still trying to find something they like to enjoy. Plus, it’s fun to experiment.

How are you “reclaiming beer for women?”

We are currently Oklahoma’s only all-women-owned brewery, and although we are the first, we won’t be the last. In ancient times women were the ones who took care of all food and beverages in the home, including beer. Women were among the first brewers, providing hospitality and sharing their delicious concoctions with their community. This is what we want to do at Equity. We hope more women in Oklahoma will be inspired to learn the art of brewing and continue that tradition.

One of your goals is “providing physical space” and “giving back to the community.” How do you do that through your Taps for Humanity program? 

When we started Equity, it was important to build strong relationships with people in our community. We love collaborating, so brewing beer with various local organizations to raise awareness and funds for them comes naturally. Our most recent Taps for Humanity beers have been the Mutual Ale with Red Dirt Collective, Cerveza Mexicana with OKC Latina, No Strings Attached Experimental Beers with Norman Care-A-Vans, Period Amber Ale with Period OKC, Liberation Lager with Foundation for Liberating Minds, and Lavender Lemonade Seltzer with With Love OKC.

Can you talk about your Equity Food Pantry and period product initiative? 

Our food pantry and period product collection came out of our partnerships with Red Dirt Collective and Period OKC. These two mutual aid organizations provide members of our community with the resources they need. RDC operates many food pantries in our community, including the one in our taproom, and Period OKC hosts period product drives all over Oklahoma.