Women ‘want beer industry to reconsider image’

03-May-2019 - Last updated on 03-May-2019 at 10:36 GMT

Beer come the girls: women avoid drinking beer because of stereotypes, a report from Dea Latis found

Beer needs reinvention – that is the conclusion of a report after it found many female drinkers are put off by fears of bloating and laddish marketing campaigns.

The Beer Agender report, produced by by women and beer interest group, Dea Latis, examined why a large proportion of UK women are disinterested or hold negative ideas about drinking beer.

It sought to uncover anecdotal reasons to explain 2018 YouGov statistics that found that only 17% of women drink beer at least once a week, compared to 53% of men.

The report’s co-author, beer sommelier and Dea Latis director Annabel Smith said: “This year’s report illustrated that many women in this country still have some ingrained deep-seated beliefs and perceptions about beer.

“And many of these are not positive. Women don’t want a beer made for women.

“Women just want the beer and pub industry to look at things from their perspective, and reconsider how beer is presented and positioned to them.”

Women want to be offered the chance to taste different beers without the commitment of having to try a whole pint or half pint, they said.

Fear of stereotypes

Gin was a popular drink among women because it was associated with elegance and sophisticated glassware. In comparison, many women surveyed said they did not like beer because they associated it with bloating and assumed it was high in calories.

Drinking beer was also something many women felt they would be ‘judged’ for, with 17% saying they do not choose beer for fear of others’ thoughts.

Beer was still seen as “just for men or only for bold, confident women kicking against society and willing to buck trends”.

Women want the beer industry to look on things from their perspective, the report added: “These women want a more feminine spin put on beer but that doesn’t mean they want pink pumps at the bar and frills putting on lager bottles.”

Complicated relationship

Jaega Wise, head brewer for Wild Card Brewing in Walthamstow, east London, said: “This report is important for the health and growth of the beer industry in the UK.

“Many factors, long suspected in the complicated relationship between women and beer, specifically in the UK, have been confirmed with this thorough research.

“There is a huge amount of work for the beer industry to do to overcome outdated stereotypes facilitated by decades of damaging advertising.”

The research was funded by a grant from the Brewing and Education Fund run by The Worshipful Company of Brewers.