The following articles enhance the printed issue of the magazine
Womens’ Thoughts on Beer
I recently read an article in CAMRA’s national magazine “Beer” about women’s attitudes to beer and I felt that the piece was rather lazy. It cherry picked a handful of comments from CAMRA’s discourse forum, fifty percent of which were made by men, which hardly seemed representative. The piece cited research conducted by Dea Latis that said “Fewer women think beer is for them compared to five years ago.” This surprised me. I had a look at the research, which can be found here https://dealatisuk.wordpress.com/2024/05/23/thegenderpintgaprevisited I was further surprised by the findings for instance: Are women’s attitudes and behaviour towards beer only changing in London and not the rest of the country? Are women really put off beer by the way it is marketed and the glass it is served in? However, as a man, what do I know about what women think? Not much! So rather than spout my own opinions I decided to ask some women for theirs both in person and invited replies through our social media. I asked them to answer the questions below.
Do you like drinking beer? If No why not. If Yes, what beers and styles do you like?
Do you think beer is for women?
Does the glass beer is served in matter to you?
Anything else you would like to add?
I had a good response and a huge thank you to all the ladies who took the time to take part. So, without further ado here are some women’s thoughts on beer…
As a woman I bloody love beer! I’m more of a fancy sour beer kind of gal, usually the more weird in flavour the better! The glass doesn’t matter to me but if it’s kind of fancy it usually comes home with me! Beer is not gender specific to me, and a half is defintely not more lady like! Just get a pint and be proud!
Rachel
Beer is my go-to most nights that I head out. I find it refreshing and love trying all the real ale and crafts beers out there to find my taste. Love an IPA or a plum porter every now and then beer is definitely for some women. It is like anything an acquired taste. Some do some don’t. I must admit I prefer a glass that doesn’t slip out my hand! Sometimes the novelty of a great shaped pint or decorated pint is good – neck oil being referenced! I was part of a real ale society of our own making in work and every month we would mark four ales. Very enjoyable and we had more than a fair share of ladies in the group.
Audrey, 53
I enjoy dark, malty beers and milds and stouts, plus the odd craft beer, again as long as it’s dark, none of that hoppy or sour nonsense. Plenty of women all over the UK drink and enjoy beer and not just the old dears drinking a milk stout (if you can find it). I’ve noticed a lot of younger women drinking and enjoying real ale and craft beers, just look at the Bow-Legged Beagles clientele. There are not many ads for beer on TV these days. I have noticed the Beavertown ads have female characters, but lager ads are almost exclusively targeted at men. Glass is of no importance other the weight of it but that’s because I have arthritis in my hands now. I must admit I do love a dimpled half pint glass, but that’s purely aesthetic nostalgia. There are some pubs I enjoy visiting and would do so alone, and some I would avoid, but I expect we all feel that way.
Jan, 59
I drink beer very rarely as I’m not a fan of the taste. In fact, I don’t really drink alcohol in general.
Daniella, 26
I like all types of beer apart from lager and sours. I like both craft keg and cask, when drinking cask I prefer them darker, amber bitters and I love a good stout. Beer is definitely for women, it’s for everyone. Beer is a great leveller. When it comes to glassware the nucleation is really important. I’d rather have a proper, straight pint glass. I don’t see the point in drinking halves. People ask for a “Lady glass”, what IS a “Lady glass” ??!! Once a gorgeous blonde woman wearing an amazing cocktail dress came into the pub where I work, walked to the bar and ordered a pint of porter. I think I fell in love!
Laura, 40
I just adore proper good beer! Give me a pint of a strong ale or a traditional stout any day. I don’t care whether it comes in a glass or out of the bottle.
Rebecca
I like light and hoppy beers. There are some dark beers I like but they are normally sweeter, chocolatey, coffee styles. I don’t like dark beers that I call ‘chewy’ – often treacle like. I’m not bothered if its real ale or ‘craft’ ale, it’s the flavour that counts. I know lots of girls who like beer, but I also know some who would never drink it in a million years and only drink wine. I don’t like dimpled glasses with the handles, they are too heavy to start with and are even heavier when filled with beer. I also prefer a thinner glass as if they are too big they are difficult to hold. I like my beer cool. I don’t like it freezing cold but I also don’t like it warm.
Carolyn, 53
Cask beer is my favourite drink. I like light and hoppy, American hopped IPAs – Mosaic hops are my favourite. I also enjoy craft beers and Pilsner but cask ale is always my first choice. Do you think beer is for women? Yes of course it is. Does the glass beer is served in matter to you? I drink pints so the glass is usually…well, a pint glass … in short ‘No’.
Jenny 45
I’ve worked in pubs since I was 17 but only in craft beer places for the last five years. I’m the assistant manager at the Black Cloak in Colwyn Bay and have been assistant manager in two previous roles in pubs and bars. I’ve never really liked pale ales or IPA’s especially ones containing citra as I find them very dry on the mouth but really enjoy drinking stouts and porters, more so from a cask than a keg as I find the flavour of cask is better. that little bit warmer and less gas means you get to taste the flavours better. I prefer sweeter stouts so anything with chocolate, caramel, peanut butter etc although I do love a good basic porter or stout due to the roastiness of the flavour. I’ve found a few of the milds I’ve tried recently have been very flavourful too although these are quite hard to find. I’ve never been concerned with the type of glass it’s served in although it’s not very often I drink a pint, I usually go for 2/3 or 1/2 as I find the flavours I like are normally in the higher abv area and a pint is usually too much but i wouldn’t mind it being served in a normal pint glass or a handled glass. the one thing I do pay attention to is if the glass is clean, it’s very easy to tell if the glass hasn’t been renovated as the bubbles stick to the inside of the glass when it is poured. When I’m working on the bar, I serve all drinks in the same glasses whether this is to a male or a female customer. I haven’t had any responses from customers about the glasses they prefer their drinks in apart from some liking the stemmed 2/3 glasses and some prefer the flat bottomed 2/3 glasses. the only difference I find is when serving gins as a lot of men prefer a high ball glass rather than a balloon glass but with beer, no one seems to mind which glass I serve to men or women and I don’t have response from customers about women preferring different glasses. I believe that there are a lot more women drinking beer, especially in a place like ours. We have all ages coming in and really surprisingly, there are a lot more younger women drinking beers. In my previous jobs, it was normally spirits or ciders or wines that would be served to women but in our pub, many women will try the paddles to taste beers. I spend a lot of time talking to the customers in the pub and a few say they tried stouts or IPAs as their friends and family would drink them. We’ve even had 19-20 year olds drinking stouts and it was what they were looking for when they came into the pub, not just a spur of the moment order. we have many repeat female customers who will come in to try the new beers we have on, it’s not just the men who look at our social media to see the new boards when beers are changed. things like calories in beer don’t factor into my choice of beer, it’s all about the flavour and I follow a lot of breweries on social media to keep up to date with new beers they are producing. I always try the new stouts and porters that we have in the fridge so I know the flavours and can recommend to the customers when they are looking for a beer.
Kelly, 43
I enjoy stouts, porters and bitter but not anything “hoppy”. Yes, beer is for women but it is for everyone, why single out women? The glass the beer is served in is very important. I cringe in horror when I am served in a stemmed glass when my male counterparts are served in a straight glass. This is totally sexist. Also, stemmed glasses are not designed for cask ale as the sparkler does not sit flat on the base of the glass. On a personal level, I am a very clumsy person and find stemmed glasses are easier to knock over. Real ale should absolutely be served in a straight glass. Times are changing and more women drink what their male counterparts are drinking, this includes drinking pints, something that 40 years ago was unthinkable. I recall an evening in 1986 whilst working behind a bar and a woman was drinking a pint of bitter. Myself and the other staff thought this was hilarious. These days, I go into a pub and just state what beer I want and am given a pint. If I want a half, I have to specify so.
Helen, 49
Do you like drinking beer? Yes. I enjoy a nice session IPA (if Bevvie Across the Mersey or House Party is on at the local I will go for those but am generally happy to try most. Maybe a girl thing – I’m a sucker for an interesting label/name), I like a flavoured stout or porter from time to time (Staypuft Marshmallow!) when I just want a treat. I enjoy the odd sour – when I just want to sit and savour a drink for a while – and a simple ale (Trappers Hat). In the summer I enjoy a cold pilsner. I just like a good tasty beer and generally like most and will gladly taste most! Worst beer tasted (or not as it had none) Samuel Adams.
Do you think beer is for women? What do you think!
Does the glass matter? I think it does you know. It’s nice to drink a beer out of the proper glass. Just a bit of ceremony. I like a two third pint these days. Half is not enough and I can drink two thirds at the same pace as my hub drinks a pint. After all beer can be a bit bloaty can’t it.
Emma, 52
I like drinking beer and enjoy a range of styles depending on selection on offer, what I fancy, even the weather plays a part! used to drink Guinness many moons ago and started my real ale journey drinking Ruddles. I like dark ales, porters and stouts but enjoy well-kept pales – as long as they’re don’t taste like pineapple crush. I try most things but don’t like fruity beers or anything too sweet. I like to see through the beer glass so don’t really get unfined beers unless they’re served properly with only a slight haze rather than being opaque.
I think beer is for everyone! I think that it’s the perception of what beer is that might put some people off, especially women, and I agree in part with the research findings about why women are less likely to drink beer. This may have something to do with the marketing of premium lagers and spirits. We very rarely see women drinking real ale on the telly too. I met Lucy Worsley (TV historian) at one of her events at the Phil and made a point of telling her how much I like that she drinks real ale (she’s often seen sitting in a pub with a pint in her programmes). The phrase ‘old man’s pub’ is often used to describe traditional pubs selling real ale and it may be this perception of who drinks beer that is preventing others from trying it. This links to ideas of what is socially acceptable for women, even now in 21st Century. I’ve been in a pub (Lion, Moorfields) having a pint and reading the paper and this was commented on by a female in a couple sitting opposite. ‘I couldn’t just come to a pub by myself and have a pint’ was said rather loudly and in a negative way which I assumed was directed towards me – not that I was bothered, but it may be this that puts people off. What other people think may have an impact too.
I think that having the beer in the glass the brewer intended is important, whether it’s a half or a pint. I like all beer glasses and particularly like the dimpled pint and half tankard glasses. I would hate to get a real ale served in Stella glass! When I worked in real ale pubs in the 90s, I often got asked to serve a drink (usually lager) in a ‘lady’s glass’ which was a highball, so again, the perception of what glasses should be used may have a legacy from the past. I’m happy drinking real ale from pint glasses but this may be a generational thing. My older female cousin orders 2 halves instead of a pint when she’s in the pub for instance!
Jo, 53
I was a late-comer to beer – not until I was 60. I think beer is for anyone (over the age of 18 of course!) Attitudes to women drinking beer have changed since I was in my teens. For example, I knew someone who took a girl he liked out to the pub but when asked what she would like to drink she answered “a pint of bitter” he dismissed her as not worth persuing. ‘Nice girls don’t drink pints’ being the attitude. We’ve come a long way since then I’m glad to say.
As to the glass – personally I don’t like a glass with a stem. I may be wrong, but I think it does affect the taste, certainly the fizziness.
Myra, 70
I like drinking lager. Italian is my favourite but I also like Spanish. Yes, beer is for women but I think that’s more of a recent thing. It’s frowned upon for women to drink a pint, drinking halves is more common. I prefer drinking from a straight glass.
Caroline, 25
I love a pint of lager. I don’t like cask ales they’re awful. I prefer a pint glass to a half.
Abbie, 23
I really don’t like the taste of beer.
Elisha, 27
I like cask and keg beers. I prefer lighter ones that are not too hoppy with citrus and grapefruit flavours. I quite like a white beer too. Beer is definitely for women and I think more women are drinking beer than say five years ago. The glass doesn’t matter to me at all apart from when I am drinking a white beer, then I like a stemmed glass.
Kim, 62
Crossword Answers from the July-October 2024 issue
Across
1. Swamp Head
6. Rat
8. Palate
9. Neckle (Snecklifter)
10. River A (River Avon)
11. Souring
13. Draught
16. Trivia
18. Spice
19. Radish
21. Tar
22. Yield Labs
Down
1.Spa
2.Akale
3. Premash
4. Eden Fu
5. Dry Chi (Chimay)
7. Telegraph
8. Parade Sot
12. Ottered
14. Apiary
17. India
20. Sos
A Wirral Odyssey
Paul Mossman’s journey to visit every real ale pub in the Wirral