How do you know craft beer is truly the World’s Greatest Beverage? Because the fairer sex (the one without hairy knuckles and pattern baldness) prefers it wine. Well at least the ones between 18-34 years old, according to recent data.
From the Detroit Free Press (via BeerPulse.com):
According to a 2012 Gallup poll, beer has been the favorite beverage among drinkers since 1985. It typically held second place as the adult beverage of choice for females, but recently, beer has edged out wine among women ages 18 to 34.
While this is a significant step forward for beer, don’t go telling the bartender, “She’ll have the Brooklyn Local 1” just yet – a little digging shows there’s a regional skew to people’s preference of beer over wine.
Gallop data also shows that folks from the Midwest lean more heavily towards preferring beer, while fancy East Coasters tend to drink more wine:
So if she’s from Michigan, chances are she’ll be happy with a Two Hearted, but if she’s from Boston, stick with Chardonnay. If she’s from Mississippi, consider ordering up a little Old Grand-Dad, as the data shows folks from the South put away more liquor than the rest of us. Of course, recent experience says that South Beach might be putting their thumb on the scale here. 🙂
As craft beer continues to grow – according to the Brewers Association, 2012 saw a 15 percent gain in sales volume, and a 17 percent gain in sales dollars – new people have to be coming into the fold.
While the easy guess says these people are macro beer drinkers who are discovering the joys of better brews, it also makes sense that women and wine lovers are becoming more and more open to the wonders of craft beer, both because of the “wine-ification” of beer, and also out of curiosity – craft beer is hot right now, and young women are just as likely as young men to want to taste what all the fuss is about.
My experience with the craft beer world has been one of inclusiveness – women are well represented in the blogosphere, at events, and more and more, in the brew house. It’s good to see that they are well represented in the data as well.
Now if only Don would stop scaring them away from our blog!
.
.
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
My proprietary and heavily guarded “microlocal” research data proves this out as well. When I started hosting craft beer parties and tastings several years ago, the ones without the uteruses (uteri for those who prefer syllabic efficiency) were more engaged and inquisitive. That’s changed. In fact, the last few times any of my friends have asked when I’m doing another tasting party the question has come from the women of the house.
A lot of the credit goes to Social Media’s #BarleysAngels like Ashley Routson, Anat Baron, Laurie Delk, & the Ladies of Craft Beer but the reality is that women have always had better taste than us (despite the fact that some of them still hang out with us) and better beer – craft beer – is all about better taste.
Cheers!
I agree, the LoCB and Barley’s Angels have probably had quite a positive impact.
All I heard was blah blah blah girls and beer. More girls!
Yes, when you think women and beer, they are in bikinis and Spuds Mackenzie is spinning the tunes.
Judging from the demographics on my Brew Trek Facebook page, I’d say the data is spot on; I’m sure anyone else who blogs and has a FB page would have similar stats.
It’s a rare occasion when I go into a brewery these days and don’t see the ladies enjoying a pint, many times they outnumber the guys 2 to 1. I think the main difference, judging from the Wife and female friends, is that the gals like to mix it up more than the guys. They’re more likely to drink whatever they are in the mood for, or the situation calls for. But it is a big difference from even 10 years ago when most women would order wine out of habit rather than think of an alternative.
Yeah, I appreciate the fact that beer is no longer a “guy” drink – a lady can enjoy a snifter or a pint without being made to feel like she should be driving a long haul truck and fartin’ on the CB!
I’ll take credit for that last wise crack…thank you very much!
Yes, as you used to sing to our sister to tease her on car trips:
“Truck drivin’ woooomaaaan…
Fartin’ on the Ceee Beeeee….”
As a female that does read this blog, I say thanks for the shout out 😉
Its always nice reading affirmations that craft beer is growing popularity in my demographic. What drew me in to the wonderful world of craft beer is the incredibly variety that exists. When i was younger those beer commercials (and society at large) had me thinking that beer was only of one variety (lager) and that the only people who drank it were men who just want to chug as many down as they can. The whole “youll get a big, fat beer belly!” thing is of no help. The 90s really didn’t help beer’s image, either, Imo. I loved married with children, occasionally love the simpsons, but al bundy and homer simpson kind of cemented beer’s status as a blue collar, boys only beverage. Big beer company commercials never helped, and although i admit they’re funny, they are still (of course) largely misogynistic.
Thank god the tide of passionate craft brewers and beer lovers is changing that.
If a couple of beer loving bartenders never took the time to show me the depth and range that local breweries poured out, I might not have come around. I think craft beer fans are the most passionate of what they love. Ive gone to lots of beer tasting/tap takeovers at local bars and ive never seen an unhappy rep for any brewery. Its wonderful. I know that this sounds like I’m going way too far with this but when I get down sometimes about america, its this country’s great craft breweries that gets me excited. I have no problem with European beers but this nation’s beer is scene is very exciting nowadays.
Still, sometimes it is hard being the lone person in a group of girls ordering a beer when everyone else is getting their sickeningly sweet cocktails. But I don’t mind as much when I know there are other beer blogging females and girl craft beer fans becoming a larger force.
Thanks for sharing, lady with a bunch of z’s and stuff for a name. 🙂
I agree about craft beer being a bright spot in the American cultural landscape. Here’s a thing I wrote last summer as the Fourth of July approached:
http://bites.today.com/_news/2012/06/28/12441693-red-white-and-brew-the-american-spirit-is-alive-and-well-with-craft-brewers?lite
Here in the Pacific Northwest, It’s definitely craft beer bringing women to the table. There are many female beer personalities leading the craft beer charge here: brewers, writers, sales people, and more. Unfortunately, Craft beer does have a problem with adopting macro beer’s advertising proclivities. I have one account that won’t order any Lagunitas beer that features a “sexy lady” on the label. I only present the items that are neutral in this regard. This is a big trend with a lot of the female bloggers I read. Some of the names and logos on craft beer are quite offensive if your someone who cares even a little about gender equality. But as more women join the craft beer movement and make their voices heard, craft brewers (which tend to be pretty savvy) will catch on.
I think the law of the jungle will weed out the sexist crap. If you want to sell beer to women, you probably don’t want to go the Clown Shoes direction, with a “Tramp Stamp” or a “Brown Angel” on the label.
Very true!
They say beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder… If I was younger and single, my youth could have been even more miss spent! Alas, Mrs. G enjoys her craft beer.