Small Business Voices Wales Episode 7: 🍺 Who Gets to Brew? Power, Purpose & Alcohol-Free Innovation

Welcome back to Small Business Voices Wales, the podcast spotlighting the real stories behind the small businesses shaping our communities and economy.

In this episode, hosts Franck Banza and Kim Mamhemde sit down with Joelle Drummond, co-founder of Drop Bear Beer Co. — Wales’s first B-Corp brewery and one of the UK’s leading alcohol-free craft beer brands.

Joelle shares an honest, powerful journey from kitchen experiments to global shelves, challenging who belongs in the brewing industry and redefining what innovation, inclusion, and sustainability can look like in business.

This conversation explores:
🍺 The hidden history of women in brewing — from ancient Egypt to modern Wales
🍺 Navigating doubt, bias, and imposter syndrome in a male-dominated industry
🍺 What really makes a great alcohol-free beer
🍺 Building a values-led business without losing sight of profit
🍺 Queer visibility, leadership, and turning identity into strength
🍺 Balancing partnership, family life, and fast-growth entrepreneurship
🍺 Acquiring an iconic Welsh brewery while keeping a challenger mindset

💬 “You don’t have to look like the industry to change it.”

About Drop Bear Beer Co.

Drop Bear Beer is a multi-award-winning Welsh alcohol-free craft beer brand, built on sustainability, inclusion, and bold flavour — proving you don’t need alcohol to make great beer.

Follow Drop Bear Beer:
Instagram: @dropbearbeer
LinkedIn: Drop Bear Beer Co.
Facebook: Drop Bear Beer

Where to find Drop Bear Beer:
Available online via Drop Bear Beer
Stocked by major UK retailers, independent bottle shops, bars, pubs, and supermarkets

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#SmallBusinessVoicesWales #DropBearBeer #WelshBusiness #AlcoholFreeBeer #Entrepreneurship #WomenInBusiness #QueerFounders #MadeInWales