Public vote finds female-friendly half-pint glass

The BitterSweet Partnership has unveiled the winner of its glassware competition, intended to find a new female-friendly half-pint glass.

The Molson Coors business arm asked Amy Molyneaux, director of British design company PPQ, to come up with several new glass designs, which were then put to a public vote.

More than 1,906 votes were cast, with the winner receiving 317 votes.

"The idea was to design a glass that was just as functional as existing beer glasses, but that was more appealing to women," said Molyneaux.

"I think people went for this design because they perceive the goblet shape as acceptable for a beer glass, but the black glass and etching makes this version a bit more stylish."

BitterSweet Partnership research into women's relationship with beer, which was completed last year, raised the issue of glassware for female drinkers.

For example, 31% of respondents said that beer packaging was "ugly and manly", with some quoted as saying they'd "be more inclined to choose beer if it came in an interesting, quirky-shaped glass".

One 26-year-old added: "Pint glasses make me think of old men drinking from tankards."

Kirsty Derry, MD of BitterSweet, said the business had also taken inspiration from the way cocktail drinkers choose a cocktail.

"For cocktail drinkers, the way their drink is served is the second biggest reason for choosing it (46% compared with 7% of beer drinkers). To us that suggests a need for the beer industry to offer alternatives to the pint glass," she said.

The company is now looking into putting the glass into production followed by potential UK trials.