Female Beer Drinkers

My boyfriend and I got into craft brews together as soon as we hit 21 and is definitely a shared passion. We love all styles and are lucky to live in SE Pennsylvania where we have access to many, many amazing craft brews.

It is slightly annoying I'm the only beer enthusiast amongst my lady friends, and I'd prefer going to a brewery over girl's wine night. I do notice when we go to bars, beer/food pairings or tap takeovers, I'm typically ignored or the bartender asks my boyfriend what we'll have. The most amusing aspect is how my conservative, hillbilly family thinks it is just awful that I'm a girl and drink beer in the first place.Though, whatever...I love beer!

 

I don't really think much about it, personally, but on a site that is very heavily male, you're just going to have to expect that we're going to probably talk about our favorite non-beer subject (ie: women) quite often. And it's a forum for open dialogue on beer, so it's natural that such a popular subject is going to surface every so often. It's the same when people get annoyed at the number of "Favorite IPA" threads.

 

I began in the world of wine. I am a buyer for a grocery store out here. I finally got tired of hearing "can't you guys get a better beer selection?" Now in grocery, wine and beer are two different categories. However, I began my transformation from Bud Light and Blue Moon and it was relatively quick. Within weeks I had moved through the basics of Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams, and began to dabble in Lagunitas, Dogfish Head, North Coast, Uinta, and other craft breweries. I LOVE them. It's a very similar concept to wine, where each has its own personality based upon the ingredients, how they are brewed with said ingredients, and who is doing the brewing. I love the pairing concept as well.

Now I have taken on the roll as a beer buyer, and have since not only improved our selection but have been able to begin educating my clientel base here. It's an on going process, I am just now really working on sours, and it took me more time to like stouts than anything else (I hate coffee). But I can certainly appreciate a well made beer. IPAs (double and triple), saisons, Belgian ales (darks, lights, doubles, triples, quads), are all amazing. After I get sours I will work towards barley wines.

It saddens me that I can go out with my girlfriends to a great place that has amazing craft beer on tap, and they will still order a Coors Light. I've tried the conversion, but they do not have the same interest. However, I know men like that too. I know women are considered to be their own category in the beer marketing world, but should we be? I think even women like to see good looking women and humor in ads, why do people assume we don't pay attention to most of the beer commercials out there? It's funny that the industry thinks women are so different, when in reality they are very similar, and it would help them greatly if they would pay more attention to the similarities instead of the differences. Sorry to be so long winded, I have thought a lot about this topic.

 

Just don't start em with a DIPA, that's the fast road to "I'll have a seltzer with lime please". They just need to find something they like where as some guys seem to drink beer they might not if they weren't so "popular".

My wife doesn't drink enough beer to ever "develop a taste" for something she doesn't like right off the bat but she lie to taste all the different beer I do.

I'm also pretty amazed at the number of women I come across at brewery tasting rooms around here that are there with other women and not a boyfriend/husband. It's not unusual at all.

 

My wife likes craft beer (or "beer" as she calls it...unbelievable!) but she's from Vermont and I think Vermont born have beer in their blood. She went to a Harpoon Fest once in Boston, she decided all festivals served "crack beer" w/ higher ABVs...and she's been to the great VT brewfest more than a few times. She drinks it, but doesn't care about it beyond; a). is this good? b). is it super hoppy? c). is it OK if I drink this? d). can I have a glass of Pinot Noir please?
She's a total sucker for a clean APA and anything chocolate/vanilla/coffee.
She's also totally awesome.

 

I am a woman and I am a crazy ticker. I was never into wine. I've found one or two that I like but I could never get into it. Beer I liked just as soon as I had something that wasn't BMC. I merely liked it for a long time, but then I moved out of Utah to the east coast and now have a such a variety available I caught the ticking fever.

As a result I know more about beer than anyone else I know. I drag people to tap rooms for tastings, plan vacations around beer options, and seldom have fewer than six types of beer in my fridge. Having sampled so many different kinds of beer I am really good at making recommendations for people. If they tell me what they like I can recommend something they will also like, and probably also tell them something random about it. Experience and a really good memory makes me good at beer advocacy.

I do know plenty of other women who like beer, mostly dark beer fans. The craft beer geeks I know are probably evenly split between genders. I don't know anyone else IRL who is on BA, probably for a number of reasons. Unfortunately I spend a lot of time on here reporting sexist comments. I think the increased moderation is helping, but sometimes there are many posts that make me uncomfortable.

 

My husband and I both love baseball and great craft beer. Last year we did a baseball and beer tour. We went to Cleveland, Chicago, Pittsburg and back home. We were able to get 4 cases of head hunter, 4 cases of zombie dust and a full case of BCBS. That is a lot of great beer!

 

My wife loves stouts and porters. That works for me.

 

You obviously have good taste in women. Keep up the good work!

 

Every time I see this title, for some odd reason Im expecting pictures.......
Im always glad to see women drinking craft beer,... knowing it took me a while( and a lot of beers) for my my wife to enjoy at least fruited beers....thanks to Rev, Flossmoor and Founders!
I would totally renew my subscription if I would see women on the BA cover or at least a section dedicated to women drinking craft beer or in the beer industry. LOVE the covers issues # 69 and 74......(+ a homebrew section)
Cheers and Salud!.....To any woman that drinks and enjoys good beer :-)

 

I'm proud to be a new female BA member and enthusiast. Cheers! Although I'm not on a mission to drink anyone under the table, I love the prospect of discovering that perfect brew (only to find the next one is even more appealing). Unfortunately my tolerance isn't very high so I can only have one or two 8-10% beers before I am toast.

I'm really excited to try some new stuff, and very much open to trying anything and everything. (within reason of course) haha

Long live beer karma. NTMU.

 

?....thats true for sure!.....even in comics.....both DC and Marvel

 

While I enjoy hoisting a few pints with the females in my life, I do prefer fashion and grooming tips from my male friends. Welcome all to craft beer.

 

My girlfriend tries almost every beer I crack in her presence. While she doesn't love beer per say, she appreciates the intricacies of most that I share. She's currently very fond of Pliny and FBS (she's barely 21 and has had many of the top 250, which is crazy) and she enjoys coming to breweries (we've made trips to Long Trail, Kane, Tired Hands and Carton together already).

I think she'll eventually turn completely, but it'll take time.

 

Also, what are your thoughts on how (if at all) female craft drinkers approach the sport differently?

This is a very nice, well put question. My experience with craft beer is that I have a lot more success getting girls to try new beers than guys. I am a huge fan of research and social psychology-so I was wondering if the reason why I was more successful getting women to try new beers is because I am myself a woman-its a comfort level thing. I have recently found that my husband is also unsuccessful with getting male BMC drinkers into craft beer. So my general observation is that females are more open minded about trying new beer than males. I have about a 90% success rate in getting a female to try a new beer where its more like 30% between my husband and I with men. The only difference I have noticed with women vs men regarding beer styles is that a lot more women like sours. The only style I've observed men liking more frequently is BMC stuff.

I've been on this website since 2007 and the topic of females drinking craft beer has come up frequently. Its nice and refreshing to see that this thread has much fewer sexist comments than threads in the past. Its also nice to see an increase of female posters. In 2007 the forums were such a boys club that I was afraid to reveal that I am female let alone contribute my thoughts on this topic. There are are probably a lot more women on this site than you realize. Sexism and reverse sexism are very real- and as the person who posted about male daycare workers pointed out- its not just confined to the craft beer world.

At beer events and brewpubs when it is suggested to me (by both male and female workers) that I probably will not like that DIPA because it has over 100 IBUs and that means its really bitter I just smile and tell them that I have tried over 1000 beers but if my husband were to ask to sample the same beer they do not bat an eye.

 

I see quite a few females when I'm out at craft specific bars and brew pubs/breweries.

My girlfriend enjoys craft beers, but she's not crazy about them like I am. She's usually willing to try just about anything I offer her.

 

This threads brings a smile to my face. I enjoy craft beers and my own homebrews but my wife is not a beer fan. I dont hold that against her. She will try my beers but she is not one to sit and have a few beers. My daughter on the other hand is a craft beer lover. She has helped me brew my beers and soon will brew her own . She is a young college educated girl who's passion is photography . I have seen her pictures of a glass of beer in magazines in my small part of the world and i know that because she appreciates a truly good beer that translates to how she sees the picture. As a plus she is a hophead like her dad. She brought over a 4 pack of dogfish head 90 minute ipa last night and said dad i found a new one to try on christmas day. I have not had 90 minute yet but i will enjoy my christmas beer with my daughter very much.

 

ive been working at BevMo in SoCal for 3 yrs now and the past 2 i've been thrown into ordering and running the beer dept...im glad i was pushed in, i have such an appreciation for the time and effort it takes to make awesome brews!...i am very fortunate to have good people who can get some good stuff that i have tried, Lost Abbey Duck Duck Goose...OMG and RR Supplication/Consecration..etc....etc... I can say i used to be a Wyders Pear cider girl...but now i love sours, stouts, and Cream ales! as the jamaicans say HOORAY BEEEER! (do they say that!? lol)

 

is anyone else crushing on olivia wilde in her drinking buddies role? my girl was getting jealous.

 

You only have to go to a beer event to see how much ladies love beer! I would say it's a very high percentage & the more the merrier! What I don't get is how in 2013 females still got so much stick like this. http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/10/18...-show-how-the-world-really-feels-about-women/