A South London microbrewery is looking to coax female drinkers from grape to grain with a new range of distinctive bottled lagers.
Alastair Hook, owner of the Greenwich-based Meantime brewery and renowned brewer of unusual beers, is introducing the new brews after becoming disillusioned with mainstream lager brands.
The new Meantime range boasts both a chocolate and a raspberry flavoured lager and is earmarked for release in June following a successful trial in the company's Greenwich Union pub.
Mr Hook said: "Beer needs new friends, so we have thrown the rule book out of the window so as to redefine the word 'beer' and to make people who presently disregard beer look at it afresh.
"We could have gone down the easy route and brewed mild, unassuming beers like many of the bland offerings in the market. But instead we have opted to be bold and to stake our future on beers of real taste and excitement."
In addition to Chocolate and Red, other brands in the range include White, a Belgian style white beer with lime and coriander, Gold, a Bavarian pilsner, and Amba, a copper-coloured organic lager.
The colour-coded selection will be packaged in 330ml and 750ml champagne-style bottles in an effort to attract more female drinkers and encourage it to be drunk as an accompaniment to food.
"In terms of design, we have taken the champagne bottle as our model because it says 'quality' and 'style' and sits well in an ice bucket on the bar or with food on a dining table," added Mr Hook.
A spokesperson for Meantime added: "There is a massive opportunity for someone to brew beers which look and taste good with food and a similarly enormous opportunity for someone to brew beers which will also appeal to women.
"It was women rather than men who were traditionally in charge of brewing in ancient Egypt or in medieval Britain and it seems madness that brewers have disregarded the opportunity to try to give women what they want. At present only 11 per cent of beer in Britain is drunk by women - we intend to even things up a bit."
The Meantime Brewery, set up in January 2000, currently brews its own brand, Union, and a number of contract brews for Mash and the Conran bars.