Women Enjoying Beer is about Bringing Beer To Life.
WEB organizes events (for women, men, and women & men), offers workshops, gives presentations and conducts Focus Groups. Women Enjoying Beer is meant to serve consumers and help the beer community accurately market beer to women, which is better for everyone.
Latest Entry
Sep 3, 2010
If you read yesterday’s post, you’ll see some hot buttons in marketing beer to women.
Focus on the beer, not sex
Today I’ll offer smart solutions for those 6 points.
1. De-sex beer. Take away any inferences or sexual overtones. What our culture could use, since it’s not a very healthy sexual representation and very lopsided towards objectified women, is non sexual advertising and marketing. A great product should stand on its own merits. Period. If you have to use sex to sell it, I’d make a stab that the product ain’t that great to begin with. Clever – great! Humor – good choice. Just make sure you remove sex.
2. High quality delicious beer is made for everyone. Beer is genderless – approach your marketing efforts this way, targeting beer enthusiasts in general, and you’ll be successful. I’d point to Schlafly, Boulevard, and Ninkasi as great examples of focusing on beer, not sex.
3. See #2. Beer enthusiasts come with female plumbing and male plumbing. Ignore the plumbing and go for taste buds.
Good example of classy, non gender specific label
4. Beer names and labels need to be thoughtfully considered. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s clever if you turn a ton of people off – unless you flat out want to turn them off (and ruin sales potential). Mistress, girls, chick, babe, and any sexualized reference of women is a bad choice, no matter who you are and how big or small your beer world is. Men aren’t labeled as such; don’t make the huge mistake of intentionally insulting 50.9% of the (entire) population with a insensitive or inappropriate name. There are millions of words – find some that work and still remain true to your brand. This includes images by the way.
5. There IS a market for craft beers for women – those beers are known as craft beers. Yes, I just repeated the obvious because it still needs to sink in with many. Craft beer should be marketed for all. Yes, you market different for different market segments – including men and women. That said, when’s the last time you heard some one say “I want a really crappy beer”?? Quality is genderless; treat your customers with enough respect that you assume they all want quality craft beers. The key here is education internally and externally.
6. All craft beer enthusiasts want layers of flavor, complexities and characteristics. That’s part of the beauty of beer. With four foundational main ingredients, those four in concert with whatever the recipe allows for already encourages incredible variety for people to enjoy.
So the message du jour for breweries wanting to attract female beer enthusiasts: market your beer on its own merits - high quality, local, value, good business practices (yes, for you), and they will patronize you.
Recent Entries
Sep 2, 2010
Read this. Then come back.
Okay – let me tell you why this drives me crazy (via all the hundreds of women who have shared and talked with WEB). And not good crazy either.
1. Beer does NOT need to be sexed up. Any more. At all. Anywhere. In fact it needs to get sex removed from it. Can we please get over sex in marketing!!??
2. Beer is brewed for genderless enjoyment – or it should be.
Women Enjoying Beer (Photo by Kate Parks)
3. Yes, women and men taste differently. How could they not? We’re all wired differently, we’re all physiologically unique. But beer should not be solely brewed to appeal to women. It should be brewed to appeal to all beer enthusiasts.
4. “Mistress” as a label for one of her beers is not helpful; it’s counter to women getting equal shrift. Who still does not get that words used in labels and titles need to be considered from the vantage point of someone else – not the one naming the widget or beer or whatever. It matters. And last time I checked, no self respecting woman wants to be subject to a mistress situation.
5. This is partially true: “There’s definitely a market for craft beers for women.” You have to start in the marketing level, not at the brew kettle. ALL beers are for women when they are marketed properly. There are literally thousands of beers ready and waiting – surely you can find a few that appeal to you no matter if you’re female, male, or any other gender classification.
6. “It has citrus layers, complexities and characteristics” Last time I checked with beer drinkers, ALL genders appreciated these things. Being orchestrated for only one gender is not the point.
So called gender-specific beer is missing the point; in fact it isn’t the point at all. Everyone wants to drink what they like – so all internal plumbing aside, keep trying beers new and different to you.
I guarantee you’ll find one – most likely more than that – that you’ll return to.
Geez….sadly this isn’t an isolated incident or uncommon way of thinking.
Sep 1, 2010
Homage to the Beer Fridge
This goes out to my fabulous friend Cozette today – made me laugh and tear up at the same time!
“I have to sadly inform you that the beer frig [they got from us] crossed over to the great tapper in the sky….. But not before providing enjoyment and pleasure to many! After we brought it home last fall , a great beer drinking friend of ours who lives in Kansas City expressed an interest in acquiring the frig. He and his wife are childless and live on a cul de sac with a bunch of families so their home is known as the great escape zone for adults seeking a break. For years he has kept an extra frig in the garage filled with beer and just keeps a “funding” jar nearby for restocking. Truly the perfect home for the beer frig! He adopted it and gave it a wonderful home where it served numerous kegs of craft beer before drawing the final cup in June. You will be pleased to know that its vital organs were transplanted into a younger model so it will continue serving indulging adults. The funny thing was the couple was trying to figure out how to make the frig slightly more self funding…. It seems that consumption in the first 6 months out paced the funding contributions considerably.”
Aug 31, 2010
What’s the difference between certified organic beverages and non?
Organic Nation Spirits
Well, besides the obvious, sometimes there is a special passion – of the organic pursuit variety.
I’ve recently had the uber pleasure of meeting and befriending Diane and David, Organic Nation Spirits. The gin and vodka they create is certified organic. Their passion is as clear as the delicious spirits they craft with great care and affection.
Good spirits, good beer, good wine. While we may all had our own affinities, it’s good to remain open minded to what makes other peoples’ clock tick tock.
Another common connection is the remarkable Joy and Bob of White Water Warehouse. In fact, this very day they are all on the Rogue River on a Martini Madness trip (no worries – imbibing happens at the end of the rafting day). If you’ve been reading you’ll know Joy and Bob invited me to be part of the inaugural Raft and Craft Trip in July (what a fantastic crew and trip!).
Meeting your maker can have a fun and not-6-feet-under meaning. And like Diane says, sip responsibly!
Aug 28, 2010
Wanted to share 2 really fun events coming up in Colorado in September. If you feel compelled to share them, that’s always appreciated.
The first event is Wednesday September 15th in Longmont Colorado at Oskar Blues Brewing. Myself and the incredible Chelly Vitry, of Denver Gourmet Tours, are putting together a superb Women’s event with Oskar Blues Brewery – The Tasty Trifecta! Beautiful Beer, Sumptuous Sweets and Creamy Cheese beer and food tasting event. They are graciously hosting the event and providing their tasty beers – we’ll be pairing them with cheeses and desserts. If you’ve never tried it, here’s your opportunity!
Full details and ticket availability can all be found here, on this link.
The second event is the Gastravaganza! Beautiful Beer & Street Food event – held at the gracious host Breckenridge Brewery (who’s beer will also be featured). The Gastravaganza (great word, eh?!) is a oh-so-tasty 6 course beer and food pairing.
We’ve got 6 high quality breweries involved: Wynkoop, Avery, Lefthand, Breckenridge, Odell, Ska and Del Norte happily participating. The food is an equal match of terrific high quality choices: Steuben’s, Cupcake Truck, Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs, Pinche Taco, Deluxe Burger, and the Gastro Cart.
Women & men welcome and encouraged. If you love beer, this is a great chance to come out and savor a lovely evening with friends (grab several!). If you love food, it’s a fantastic chance to wrap your lips around some of Denver’s finest street food. If you love both, well, it’s nirvana! (plentiful parking for cars and bikes too)
Full details and tickets can be found here on the site.
We’d love to see you join us – and you can buy tickets now! Plan on one or both and get out and enjoy the remarkable opportunities Central Colorado has to offer.
Thanks for your time, attention and and spread.
Cheers!
Ginger & Chelly
Aug 27, 2010
Today’s my birthday – last night we started the celebration at SOB. Thanks to everyone who came out!
Beer in my Fridge
So today I want to share some of my go-to beers (availability be damned). When we get another beer fridge, the fantasy stock incudes these beers – and we can always make room for more. It’s going to have to be a big flippin’ fridge!
So the fridge is full to overflowing…and I am compelled to mention other breweries who I really enjoy in the glass as well:
NapaSmith, Dogfish, Moonlight, Lefthand, Ska, Wynkoop, Barley John’s, Fitger’s, Karl Strauss, Everybody’s Brewing, Alaskan, Four Peaks, Alamo, Del Norte, Goose Island, Widmer, Terrapin, Duck-Rabbit, Brideport, Clipper City/Heavy Seas, Sierra Nevada, Odell, Avery, Rubicon, Buckbean, Great Dane, Big Sky, Standing Stone, Lawson’s Finest, Rogue, Old Market, Oskar Blues, Surly, Harvest Moon, St. Arnold’s, Leinenkugel, Triple Rock, Kelly’s, Willimantic, Gritty’s, Bend, Bison, HUB, Boston Beer, Piece, Rahr…
I know I’ve inadvertently left some off the list…tell me – who would you add? Let me know.
We’re going to need another fridge…
p.s. looking forward to savoring beers at Limestone and Haymarket in October…
Aug 26, 2010
Okay, so you know I already like SOB. Local (for me), great engaged beer passionate people with a high quality line up. Does it get better?
Come celebrate with us - tissue paper hats optional!
Only when you add a birthday to it – mine! It’s actually tomorrow yet as any of my friends know (now you, friend!) I LOVE LOVE LOVE my birthday. It’s your own personal holiday and reason to celebrate all the great things this incredible ride of life has to offer.
So – come join us at the SOB tap room today starting at 430 pm to celebrate. Bring a favorite toast to share and enjoy a few beers. We’ll be glad to see you.
As I celebrate, I’m reminded that I’m grateful for great friends and family, quality beer, tasty food, a safe place to reside and live, a free country in which to pursue happiness and opportunity, my Fine Husband and loving dogs.
Cheers!
Aug 25, 2010
Julia and Larry in Chicago, 2010 CBC
Dear Julia,
Many thanks! What a great piece - comprehensive, thorough, and fun. Oh – enlightening and thought provoking as well.
See you in Denver.
Yours truly – the Tornado,
Ginger
Aug 25, 2010
Bottling beer at SOB
I had the distinct pleasurable opportunity to get to be a volunteer bottler at Southern Oregon Brewing last week. What a great way to get out from computer work and meet (more) fun beer people.
SOB is already a familiar brewery to me and the people there are friends. They’ve been good to WEB – we had a monthly meet up there where we featured their beers and paired them with cheeses. Mmmmmmmm! So getting to participate at the brewery in a process I don’t know much about was very welcome.
Acacia, Larry’s intern at SSBC, and I headed over around 830 am last Thursday. She’d done it before so was a helpful colleague to have there. There were 4 other volunteers in addition to Scott, Brewer, and the Green Bottling team – Jack, Gavin, and Mike.
Lee and Acacia on the line at SOB
It’s a pretty straightforward process, really, with some very specific equipment customized to take on the road to service breweries in bottling their beers. What a great solution!
Grossly Oversimplified: Beer ready in tanks, equipment set up, bottles loaded, filled, packed into boxes, palleted, and stored. And of course, enjoyed at their end point of some one’s mouth down the road.
Bottling and canning lines are an investment that – when it’s right – are smart. It’s another smart way to serve the breweries and end enthusiasts per beer by the bottle.
Green Bottling truck
SOB bottles 22 ounce bottles and we ended up helping that luscious beer into those bombers for the better part of the day. They’d also bottled the night before (Nice Rack IPA). Thursday we bottled Pin-up Porter, Gold Digger, and Woodshed Red.
Scott already knows my hand is the air for future bottling. Can’t wait! The refreshing beers on-site and camaraderie that is so intrinsic to the craft beer community was in perfect form that day. Thanks to Scott, Tom, Jack, Gavin, Mike, Acacia, Lee, Greg, Jeff, and Buddy – what a fabulously beery day!
Aug 24, 2010
Debunk the things you think are myths to you. Let me give you a few examples of myths WEB is working on debunking.
1. Women Like Beer. This is the truth. This is the truth for women who are independent thinkers, have friends (of all genders) supporting their choices, have been given the opportunity to learn about beer, have not been patronized or slighted, have been invited into the conversations about beer. If you’re a beer oriented business, you better get a move on in properly including women. Hint: Beer is not a gender product; it’s a passion product. Sell it sexless.
2. Women are Women. Not Girls (this is a bad choice of group title), Chicks (so is this – especially since beerchicks.com is soft porn…connection anyone??), Babes, Broads, of Ladies. DO NOT trade out sex for intelligence. Men don’t call themselves the Dick Drinkers, Beer for Boys, or other gender labeled titles…why would women subject themselves to these titles?? If you’re part of one of these groups, I strongly recommend renaming the group. It’s not important what you think a name is clever. What’s important is what resonates and how it speaks to the rest of the population. Step outside yourself when you name a group to see how it could be interpreted. Sexism in the beer world is sadly partially perpetuated by women – these titles are counter productive. This is a good naming example.
3. Color does not equate universally to flavor. If I had a dollar for every time someone says they don’t want or do want a ‘dark beer’, I could fly my entire monthly WEB meet up to Belgium. Twice a year. AAAUGGGHHH!!! Color is related to color of ingredients, specifically the roasted (or kilned) level of the malted barley or other ingredients that have color to them. Yes, there are relations yet not foregone conclusions. Drink blindly. Don’t be a beer racist.
Go forth and debunk.
