Education is Key to More Female Beer Drinkers
In the world of beer I am the new girl. I have learned a lot about beer in the last few years, but I am still the new girl compared to the many experts out there. Prior to learning about beer, understanding the many different taste, the quality, the types, the complexity and all the varieties available, I did not like beer.
Well, let me rephrase, I did not think that I liked beer, the only beer I had ever tasted was the mass produced, big name beers like Budwiser, Miller, Coors, and so on. Beers that are low on flavor, but high on marketing dollars. Based on my experience, I did not like the taste of beer. It seemed like a waste of time to drink beer when I could have a nice neat vodka.
One day a young man named Brandon came along and challenged my perception. He would get great craft brews, and he and I would drink them together, he taught me to feel the beer in my mouth, to allow the flavors to open up, and to start identifying all the different flavors there were in the beer. He challenged me to go out and discover more beers, and tell him about them. He was an excellent mentor.
Today I love discovering beer, learning about beer and drinking beer. No one had to market a beer to me, it would not have worked. No one had to create a beer just for women like the new Chick beer, that frankly insults me. Someone had to take the time to teach and challenge me to enjoy beer.
For all of you breweries out there, don’t try to hype your beer to us, don’t create some stupid “Chick” beer, instead, take the time to engage us in conversation, teach us, and build a relationship with us. Women will come, they will drink beer, but you have to offer us the opportunity to do so in an educated fashion. I want to be able to go to a bar, look at the list of beers, and know that I love an IPA and not feel intimidated or stupid for ordering something. I want to be able to ask informed questions about a beer and understand the answer and I want to drink my beer from the right glass when I am having dinner.
If you want us, earn our respect, and we will be there to drink your fine Ales, your dark creamy Porters and your pallet challenging IPAs.
Here! Here! It took me a long time to go from Bud Light or massed produced beer to the craft beers available. I just kept trying and learning and asking. Do I know all the tiny details of every malt, or the different types of beer? No, but I’m willing like you and every other woman who is interested to try. I really liked this article and as a side note.. that Chick Beer really insulted me too.
Hand me a stout or porter anytime.
- K
Kathleen you are my kind of woman. I do not need something made special for women, it reminds me of the Auto Dealer sales person, who upon approaching a woman, begins to show her the vanity mirror in the car instead of the engine. What an insult. I like a nicely hopped beer to a full bodied stout! Thanks for the comment.
Agreed and well said! I don’t want to be talked down to in a conversation and I certainly do not want that in my beer experience. If you are going to go to all that trouble of developing a “craft” beer it needs to be a “craft” beer. This is definitely changing the definition of the word. It is also in direct contrast as to the reason the female market is emerging in this industry.
Cheers to a real craft beer!