Beer for the ladies

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nerdyjackal

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What beer would you make for the ladies? I recently made a peanut butter beer that the female drinkers love, only problem is i didn't make enough of it. I am curious what would you brew if you wanted to impress the ladies or SWMBO?
 
My SWMBO drinks miller light. She is nice enough to try all my brews, but she always makes a face and says "its good". I am determined to make a beer she actually enjoys. Right now i have a cream ale bottle conditioning and an American wheat ready to bottle. Hopefully one on these will show her my hobby is worth while.
 
My girls favorite beer that I have brewed is a Pecan Porter. I used a pound and a half of pecans in the secondary for a couple of weeks in a five gallon batch. It was like a desert beer.
 
I must be one of the lucky ones. My gf encouraged me to get into home brewing in the first place, and she loves to try any beer except IPA. She helps me brew and bottle quite often and has even purchased some of our equipment on her own accord. She wanted me to brew a Bass clone for her, so I did and it will be bottled today actually.

If I had to say a straight up beer for women I'd go for a Strawberry Blonde Ale.
 
They are fond of Old Rasputin. ;)

Not sure what kind of beer you should make though. Maybe a Coors light clone or a fruit beer with a cute name.
 
My SWMBO actually does like Old Rasputin. To be honest, I have more male friends that enjoy BMC than the ladies I know. Not sure if there is such a thing as a girlie beer. (Wow....I finally beat Yooper to one of these threads about 'girlie' beers....:D)
 
(Wow....I finally beat Yooper to one of these threads about 'girlie' beers....:D)

Not by much! :D

I don't know if there is a universal "ladies beer" any more than there is a "guys beer". Last night my friend sat around the fire with me and drank my Fizzy Yellow Beer and then followed it with a bomber of dry stout. She does tend to like lighter colored beers like American wheat, but she'll enjoy a citrusy IPA a lot as well. She doesn't like really bitter beers of any type.

My favorite style is IPA, so I think of an IPA as a girly beer.
 
My girl really likes the American Wheat beer I made - she does not like bitterness and normally only drinks Miller Lite.
 
I don't think you want to get the "chick beer" discussion going. Good taste in beer is not gender specific. My wife enjoys sour belgian ales so I'd be making a Flanders Red.
 
My sister hates almost all beer. Her favorite is Highland's Black Mocha Stout.

In general, for people who are not beer drinkers, I get the impression that this is anomalous, and that the general preference is for something light and possibly fruity. That's not universal, but assuming women who don't like beer is your target demographic, it's probably your best bet.
 
On weekends my wife and I usually go out for lunch and most times it is to a brewpub or place that has a variety of beer on tap. We often order a sampler and she usually finds one she really likes. Inevitably she she asks me if I can brew that style next. I have two kegs and i usually have one beer to my liking and one she has requested. Currently have a Waldo Lake Amber for me and a Kolsch for her (but she also likes the amber). She typically likes lighter beers, but she also surprises me from time to time.
 
My wife is happy with everything from a wee heavy to an IIPA, just so it's flavorful and not watered down tasting like most BMC stuff.
 
1. The blatant sexism has already been addressed so I won't add to that

2. Why do some brewers always feel the need to brew specific recipes to please a very specific group of people? Just keep some blue moon, light lager or wine [coolers] around for the people that don't enjoy the styles of beer you make! That way you don't build up the anticipation, people don't have to lie to preserve you feelings if they don't like something you brewed specifically for them, and you don't get let down if you can't do it. Some people just don't like beer!

That said, a nice wit, fat tire clone, kolsch or cream ale are good general crowd pleasers!
 
Ever heard of a commercial beer called Chick beer?
Its an ok lager really.Very gimmicky call that sexist if you will.But to me its just a novelty marketing thing,feel free to be offended though.

Ipa's have grown on my fiance big time since ive been sharing many research/hombrews. Ive gotten better at ipa's(simply by mainly adding more hops=duh?) Ive come to realize though how much i like american red ales ipas or not i think that is my favorate style.She does not like "dark"beers but i can get her to drink a india brown and black ipa.Just no roasty stouts.Even though she is a cofffee freak but loves her creamer.So it must be like black coffee to her-the way i see it. She at least understands there is flavor aroma and good actual taste potential to most beer.She just doenst know what the hell type of beer she is trying all the time and quickly forgets.
I think wheats are good gateway beers sometimes.Im shure a good mild ale can ease someone into trying new things as well.
 
Ever heard of chic or chick-beer? Its an ok lager really.Very gimmicky call that sexist if you will.But to me its just a novelty marketing thing,feel free to be offended though.
Ipa's have grown on my fiance big time since ive been sharing many research/hombrews. Ive gotten better at ipa's(simply by mainly adding more hops=duh?) Ive come to realize though how much i like american red ales ipas or not i think that is my favorate style.She does not like "dark"beers but i can get her to drink a india brown and black ipa.Just no roasty stouts.Even though she is a cofffee freak but loves her creamer.So it must be like black coffee to her-the way i see it. She at least understands there is flavor aroma and good actual taste potential to most beer.She just doenst know what the hell type of beer she is trying all the time and quickly forgets.
I think wheats are good gateway beers sometimes.Im shure a good mild ale can ease someone into trying new things as well.

What?
 
I guess i'll just be sexist by saying a woman that can make her brew or appreciate a nice craft brew is damn appealing!
 
Well, my wife likes them all! Recently made a black IPA at her request and her favorite beer I brew is a Black Ale from Austin Homebrew. Her favorite commercial beer is Youngs Double Chocolate Stout. She drinks everything I make and also hated the strawberry blonde I made :) something sexy about a woman drinking a flavorful, dark beer.
 
I guess i'll just be sexist by saying a woman that can make her brew or appreciate a nice craft brew is damn appealing!

Haha- that's one sexist comment that is nice to hear.

We joke around my house all that time about a woman brewing all the beer. One time, we were running low on beer in the kegerator and Bob said something like, "Woman, go into the brewery and make me some beer. And a sammich." I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.

He asked me yesterday what "Two row barley" meant. I explained how it was different from six row barley. He pretends to be very knowledgeable and nods and then says ridiculous things about brewing (to pretend he brews) and said, "Oh, yes. That's why I like that six row barley in IPAs." I said, "No. No you don't. You like six row in cream ale and classic American pilsner." His response: "Yes, that's right. That's what I meant. I like that grainy flavor of six row in cream ale!" He's learning. :D

One thing that I want to point out about this forum- there are probably more women around than you think. Our avatars and IDs are not usually gender specific. There are more men, certainly, but it should be kept in mind that this is a homebrewing forum, and not a guys' hobby forum. I have almost always been treated with respect as a brewer, and not as a girl, on this forum and that is part of why this forum is so great.

Women brew. They drink beer. Many times I've been insulted in homebrew stores and/or ignored. I've had bartenders put a slice of orange in my beer, without asking because I'm a girl or offer me a nice fruit beer. But other brewers have been respectful and treat me like just another brewer.
 
My wife just had me brew her a Wit and a Coffee Stout that she can drink after our son is born. She's also getting a taste for barrel aged sours, which is not good for our bank account.
 
In my 'spare' time, I build sets for a local theater. They let me in front of the curtain occasionally, too, so I've also hosted my share of cast parties. At a few of them and in other gatherings, I've had samplings. This is a wide array of tastes in this bunch, including many who 'hate' beer. From the ones I've brewed and put out for sampling, it seems the Saison has been the most popular by the broadest assortment of people in my circles.
... but I've heard that Cream Ale fits that bill, too. We'll see in about a month, when I have Saison on one tap and Cream Ale on the other of my (hopefully finished by then) kegerator.
 
My wife doesn't like hops, and I do, so it's hard to find a beer we both like. We made a cider together once, back-sweetened with pomegranate concentrate, and that was a big hit. A lot less work than beer-making, too!
 
In my experience, more women say they don't like beer... but when they drink any beer, are often more open minded about different styles.

Most men are willing to drink a beer, but more of them are dismissive of anything that doesn't fit their preconceived notions that it should be a fizzy and yellow american light.

"Beer for the ladies" in this case should perhaps be termed instead as "gateway homebrew", which would be any easy to drink style that doesn't scare off BMC drinking types with massive bitterness, alcohol burn, or thick consistency. This would share a LOT of ground with session beers that even beer snobs can appreciate ;)
 
If I was brewing for a female. Say... My SWMBO, I'd brew a Coffee Stout, then an IPA, and then a true American Pilsner. And only in that order.

Anybody who says they don't like beer hasn't tried enough different styles in my mind.
 
I brew a Strawberry Blond that is very similar to Pete's Wicked Stawberry Blond that the ladies like. It smells and tastes like strawberries but not ver bearing.

beerloaf
 
In my experience, more women say they don't like beer... but when they drink any beer, are often more open minded about different styles.

Most men are willing to drink a beer, but more of them are dismissive of anything that doesn't fit their preconceived notions that it should be a fizzy and yellow american light.

"Beer for the ladies" in this case should perhaps be termed instead as "gateway homebrew", which would be any easy to drink style that doesn't scare off BMC drinking types with massive bitterness, alcohol burn, or thick consistency. This would share a LOT of ground with session beers that even beer snobs can appreciate ;)

It took my wife a long time to realize it isn't beer she doesn't like, it's BMC beers and the hop bombs I gravitate toward. She loves yeast-forward styles like wheat beers and darker stuff like porters and stouts.
 
Haha- that's one sexist comment that is nice to hear.

We joke around my house all that time about a woman brewing all the beer. One time, we were running low on beer in the kegerator and Bob said something like, "Woman, go into the brewery and make me some beer. And a sammich." I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.

He asked me yesterday what "Two row barley" meant. I explained how it was different from six row barley. He pretends to be very knowledgeable and nods and then says ridiculous things about brewing (to pretend he brews) and said, "Oh, yes. That's why I like that six row barley in IPAs." I said, "No. No you don't. You like six row in cream ale and classic American pilsner." His response: "Yes, that's right. That's what I meant. I like that grainy flavor of six row in cream ale!" He's learning. :D

One thing that I want to point out about this forum- there are probably more women around than you think. Our avatars and IDs are not usually gender specific. There are more men, certainly, but it should be kept in mind that this is a homebrewing forum, and not a guys' hobby forum. I have almost always been treated with respect as a brewer, and not as a girl, on this forum and that is part of why this forum is so great.

Women brew. They drink beer. Many times I've been insulted in homebrew stores and/or ignored. I've had bartenders put a slice of orange in my beer, without asking because I'm a girl or offer me a nice fruit beer. But other brewers have been respectful and treat me like just another brewer.

Lol. Thanks for sharing the stories! I've actually posted very little but you are one of the brewers I've learned a lot from. I mostly read and then read some more. So thank you for sharing your expertise and your recipes! I've got an IPA aging in an oak barrel, a peach mead aging, and a hard lemonade finishing up. Nothing sexier then a female brewer and I mean that with respect though I know it can be taken many ways.

There is a group here locally, and probably all over the US, that's called Barely's Angels that is an awesome group. There is also an all female brewing club that I see at many Iowa brew fests that are amazing.

I'm saddened there are not more female brewers in the industry. I know there are a lot female brewers around and I hope to see more. One local brew club has one female brewer. It's kind of sad as I've never drank a female brewers creation that wasn't awesome!

Cheers to you all!
 
Mine loves fruit beers and chocolate/coffee beers. I got one8tvw's Bananas Foster beer fermenting right now for her.
 
My girlfriend likes BMC with olives in the glass. I don't make anything for her, she used to drink wheat beers and cider, but has pretty much settled in on olive beers.
I don't care, more for me! (She rarely has more than one at a time anyway.)
I did get some of this for her though.
images
 
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