Halloween isn’t over until the Brewseum says it is! Gather around the cauldron for this very special Friday the 13th “hoppy hour” conversation. Your trio of trouble brews up a mighty serving separating fact from fiction around the idea that Medieval alewives (brewsters) inspired our stereotypical image of witches. Squaring pointy hats, broomsticks, and black cats against pints, ale-sticks, and hop-backs, grab your beer and get ready for an assize of an argument! 

Panelists:

Rachel Christ, Director of Education, Salem Witch Museum. Salem, MA
Lucas Livingston, Chicago Brewseum Board of Directors. Chicago, IL
Dr. Christina Wade, Historian, Braciatrix.com and co-host Beer Ladies Podcast. Dublin, Ireland

Since the completion of her thesis, Dr. Christina Wade has been working on a book of beer history in Ireland from medieval to modern. She has written numerous articles and book chapters about Irish medieval history, beer history and the history of women in brewing, for publication in both academic and non-academic publications including: a chapter in the Medieval Dublin Series; The Journal of Franco-Irish Studies; TheTaste.ie; and Beoir Magazine. She has also written extensively about beer history on her own blog Braciatrix.com. She has also had papers accepted at a variety of Irish and International conferences including International Conference of Medievalists, FoodCon,  Tallagh Drinks Conference, Friends of Medieval Dublin Lunchtime Lecture Series, The FemAle Beer festival, Alltech Brews and Food Fair, BrewCon, and Killarney Beer Festival. Wade also founded the Ladies Craft Beer Society of Ireland in 2013, which at the time of writing has over 1,300 members. Finally, she serves as a resident historian and co-host on the Beer Ladies Podcast. 

Rachel Christ is the Director of Education at the Salem Witch Museum. She holds a BA in Global History from Clark University and was awarded the H. Donaldson Jordan Essay Prize for her senior honors thesis entitled “Twentieth-Century America Witchcraft: A Study of the Relationship between Female Empowerment and Contemporary Interpretations of Witchcraft.” She is currently working on her MA in History and Museum Studies at Tufts University. Her primary area of research is the history of the image of the witch and the European witch trials. Rachel has been Director of Education at the Salem Witch Museum since 2017. Within this role she works with students and teachers, directs staff training, creates and coordinates educational programming, and manages the museum’s social media. Rachel also oversees artifact acquisition, interpretive planning, and curation of the museum’s exhibits, and has most recently completed a long-term update in the exhibit “Witches: Evolving Perceptions.”

 Lucas Livingston serves on the Chicago Brewseum’s Board of Directors. He is a 20-year career professional in museum learning and directed the Art Institute of Chicago’s therapeutic, health, and well-being experiences for adult learners and people with disabilities. An antiquarian at heart, Lucas is the creator and host of the Ancient Art Podcast, which he launched in 2006. His primary scholarly areas of concentration include ancient Egypt, Classical Civilization, and Asia with particular emphases on the visual arts and drinking culture. Additionally, in an effort not to be the first one voted off the island, Lucas brews beer inspired by ancient recipes and traditions (strictly for research). He has presented on beer history for the Oriental Institute, Art Institute of Chicago, New York University, Field Museum, Jane Austen Society, University of Hawaii, Society for Creative Anachronism, and of course the Chicago Brewseum.