British women rate craft beer and ale as ‘tipple of choice’

When choosing between a wide selection of craft beer and ales, whisky or soft drinks behind the bar, more than half (57%) of women voted in favour of craft beer and ales.

Beer sommelier Jane Peyton outlined the reasons why women chose beer.

She said: “It is no surprise that more women are choosing to drink craft beer.

“Craft beer tends to have big vibrant flavours that appeal to women. It's a myth that women do not respond to flavour or to bitterness. 

“Another major factor is that craft beer branding tends to be gender neutral so the sexist imagery and often misogynistic brand names of 'old' beer is absent. 

“And not least - people who brew and drink craft beer want everyone to enjoy it, regardless of gender, race, creed and sexuality.

“As I have said many times before 'it is spelled ale not male'​ and beer is nature's gift to humans – men and women."

Women enjoy a range of beers

Women's beer group Dea Latis​ prides itself on uniting its members through a passion for beer and a belief that it's 'far too good to be enjoyed only by men'.

The group hold events throughout the year including food and beer matching session with the next one taking place in Liverpool on Thursday 13 April.

Ros Shiel from Dea Latis blasted claims that women should only drink lighter beers or specially created female friendly brands.

She said: “Women enjoy everything from wheat beers to porters and stouts, and all beers in between.

“Pubs can encourage more women to try beer by offering a range of glassware – and avoiding brands with outdated, sexist names or imagery.”

The survey also found British women still choose to opt for more traditional British dishes.

Fish and chips won the popular vote with 47% choosing it over health-led trends such as quinoa salad, which only received 3% of the vote.

Men also favoured traditional British dishes with almost half (44%) selecting a hearty beef and ale pie.

Though consumers' tastes have remained traditional, reasons for visiting the pub have shifted towards a more modern way.

An interesting revelation

Two thirds of respondents stated the reason they would pop into the pub is for the free Wi-Fi.

Nicholson’s Pubs operations director William Prideaux lauded the results of the survey.

He said: “It’s great to find out the British public are still opting for great British dishes such as the traditional fish and chips and steak and ale pies but it’s also interesting to see how pubs have adapted to digital trends have changed over the years.

“The discovery of just how much more popular craft beer and ales are among the female population in comparison to other drinks was an interesting revelation and we are responding to this demand by providing a great selection of craft beers and ales in all of our pubs including our own Nicholson’s Pale Ale.

“The traditional British pub is an institution in its own right and will always be a great British pastime, and while it’s important to retain the features and traditions that make the ‘classic British pub’ famous worldwide, it’s important to roll with the times and continue to evolve in this increasingly digital world.”