Pink, girly beer won’t tempt women, says master beer sommelier

06-Dec-2011 - Last updated on 20-May-2024 at 14:45 GMT

Molson Coors will embark on a three-week sampling tour for Animée beer

As Molson Coors launches a sampling campaign for Animée, its new low-calorie beer range designed for women, master beer sommelier Mark Stroobandt believes many brewers and pub operators are ‘getting it wrong’ when it comes to attracting the female beer-drinking market.

Animée comes in three flavours – clear filtered, crisp rose and zesty lemon – and includes an ‘anti-bloat’ ingredient. But Stroobandt, who works at the F&B partnership, thinks the promotion of ‘girly beer’ can in fact have the opposite effect.

Alienating female beer-drinkers

“I often see brewers come up with a new fancy little beer aimed at women, in a pink bottle or whatever; but you wouldn’t do this with wine,” said Stroobandt, speaking at last month’s R200 Awards organised by Restaurant magazine.

“Too many people see beer as being something bitter and for men, but pubs shouldn’t alienate women. The key thing is to talk to them, not talk down to them.

“It’s not a question of all of a pub’s customers liking all beers, but the key thing is to talk to women, but you mustn’t talk down to them. You have to work at different combinations, try pairing it with chocolate or something like humus, to counteract the bitter taste.”

Starting tomorrow, Molson Coors will embark on a three-week sampling tour for Animée beer. The ‘Hurray for Animée’ team will be visiting locations close to on-trade stockists in cities across the UK, targeting a core 18 to 35-year-old female audience and delivering Animée’s message that ‘there’s always something to celebrate’.

Stroobandt also believes restaurants across the UK ‘aren’t giving beer the respect it deserves’ and has given his top tips of beer and food matching to increase a business's footfall.

Huge potential for brewers and pub operators

Molson Coors isn't alone in trying to lure the female demographic. Carlsberg’s Eve brand, which also recently launched, is a 3.1 per cent beer-style fruit spritzer tailored for women.

While beer sales have been steadily declining over the past few years, statistics from the Bittersweet Partnership show that just 13 per cent of beer drinkers are women, which when compared to 25 per cent in the USA and 36 per cent in Northern Ireland, demonstrates there is huge potential for brewers and operators to exploit the market.

A recent Camra survey also revealed that half of regular pub goers would like to see more low-strength beers, which can often be lighter and have a lower calorie content, on offer.

But can female beer-drinkers slow the decline in beer sales? Check out BigHospitality’s exclusive video to find out…