What women want

Despite its revival in many UK pubs, real ale still conjures up images for many consumers that are not exactly classy: over-50s men matching their pint with a packet of pork scratchings; medieval English banquets with Friar Tuck figures washing down food with gulps of the frothy brew.

Suffice to say, its image leaves something to be desired - especially for younger drinkers and women in general.

This might be why eight out of 10 women have never even tried real ale, let alone drink it regularly. But for those who have never delved into the 2,500 varieties already on offer, a new brand has been launched especially with women in mind.

Different tastes

Described as "light and fruity with extracts of orange", Harry's Ale is the product of 18 months of female-only tastings and research into what women want from a drink and what taste they actually prefer.

It is the creation of Harriet Easton, a 19-year-old student from Newcastle University who wanted to develop a drink that she and her friends could enjoy and order without feeling like they were crossing into 'male-only' territory.

"I started drinking alcopops when I turned 18, as that was almost what was expected of girls my age," she says. "But I found them overly sweet, deceptively strong and I really didn't like the taste."

She took a year out of her studies and teamed up with her mother - an experienced entrepreneur herself - and Jack and Jenny Hanby, owners and brewers at Hanby Ales.

They developed a 4.2 per cent ABV cask ale that uses citrus fruit as its main element - specifically aimed at the female palate - and will be available in the West Midlands and Wales by next year.

But no matter how much you dress it up, Harry's Ale is still a cask ale, and unless women are already ale drinkers in the first place, it will be very hard to get them to try it.

Ladette culture may have spawned female drinkers who are happy to sink pints with the guys, but beer is far from the drink of preference for the majority of pub-going women.

Getting the marketing right

One of the main reasons women stay away from beer is the macho advertisements, which alienate women and, according to Easton, "only include women as an accessory". Brewers are missing out on a huge market that could potentially be the saviour of beer and double their sales.

But, oddly enough, it might be difficult to encourage women to drink something that is marketed specifically as female-friendly, as recent research suggests women are increasingly choosing drinks marketed neutrally to both men and women.

Figures published by Diageo last month found that spirits take a 40 per cent volume share amongst women in pubs and bars, as opposed to 15.4 per cent among men.

This is confirmed by TGI market research from this year which shows vodka and white rum drinkers are becoming increasingly female in comparison with 10 years ago.

Although Diageo brands such as Baileys or Archers are targeted at women, gin, vodka and rum brands are marketed to both genders and tend to be more popular among women. While men are satisfied by their brands of beer, women are more likely to choose spirits as they are neither patronising nor exclusive.

Easton has obviously done her homework. Despite being designed with women's tastebuds in mind, you may have noticed that the ale is 'Harry's' and not 'Harriet's', and this was precisely to avoid being labelled as a specifically 'girly' drink and to avoid alienating men. Easton also presumed women would feel awkward about ordering something too overtly feminine in a pub.

Louise Ashworth, head of marketing at the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), agrees. "You have to be careful not to be patronising to women with the name," she says, "and I think Harry's Ale is a good choice."

Easton's brew will initially be available in 275ml and 330ml bottles in April. Wine-style glasses have been designed so that women don't have to drink out of pint glasses. This might seem like a bit of a contradiction. Why put effort into ensuring a product isn't too girly and then design special glasses that are more ladylike? Easton says this is not necessarily to emphasise the feminine, but to enhance the style, similar to well-known Belgian brand Leffe that is served in chalice-style glasses.

"Image is more important to female drinkers," said Easton.

"We found that women generally don't like holding a pint glass as it makes them feel quite unsophisticated."

In essence, this focus on style and quality is where Harry's Ale might just become a success. It is not just an ale brand aimed at women, but is riding the recent wave of interest in cask beer and continental lagers that has been gaining momentum for a few years.

Just as wine has established itself as the drink of those who really appreciate their alcohol, cask and European beers are increasingly being perceived as the sophisticated choice for those with a refined palate.

A new tradition

Graeme Craig is sales and marketing director at Kent family brewer Shepherd Neame, which carried out some consumer research with the Future Foundation last year.

"The number one description of ale by men and women was 'traditional'," he explains. "Ten years ago, this was equated with old-fashioned but now it has associations with heritage, organic produce and an understanding of where things come from."

The variety of ale and the care taken in the stylish serving of Belgian beers is also appealing for drinkers. "Consumers are moving towards wanting an experience in everything they do," says Craig, "and that includes drinking alcohol."

The Dove in East London sells 121 varieties of beer and many of its Belgian beers are served in wine-style glasses.

"A lot more of the ladies now drink beer," observes Johnny Caetono, who has been a barman in London for the past five years.

"The number of customers buying real ale has shot up over the past few years, and what is surprising is that a lot of the younger crowd are getting into it. Younger ladies now have less of a problem with drinking pints."

The Dove might be trendier and attract a more alternative crowd than your average local pub, but it demonstrates the new look of real ale in Britain today.

The new interest in localism across the food and drink market is something that might be the key to making real ale appeal to women.

Alongside our ethically motivated swap of Malaysian lychees for Kentish apples, women could be encouraged to trade their Californian pinot noir for a pint of Shropshire's Harry's Ale. Could drinking real ale well become a lifestyle choice and as important an accessory for the middle-class woman as an organic, Fairtrade skinny latte?