Women And Beer? A Question Of Taste
I was sitting on the grass having a bit of Bishops Finger and wondering where all the women were.
The Campaign for Real Ale Festival did not seem to have attracted too many females and I was feeling a little out of my element.
This may also have been due to the fact that I was in fact sitting in Earl's Court on a patch of fake grass and that I had discovered that I really did not like Bishops Finger ale.
When you think of a real ale festival you think of groups of bearded men with matching t-shirts.
They were definitely present - but I was here to see what the experience would be like for a woman.
There were many bars serving beer, lager and ale from all over.
Some of the bars had made a particular effort; one even had a double-decker bus you could sit in.
The Bishops Finger stand was decorated in a stereotypical chauvinistic advert, which had a woman, legs spread, adorned with medieval dress, with the slogan, 'Nothing satisfies me like a Bishops Finger'. Charming.
So, of course, there is a male stereotype here because that is who the advertisers aim at.
The effort to appeal to women was being made elsewhere, though.
Camra caught onto the fact that women don't really like pint glasses. Elegant little 1/3-of-a-pint glasses that meant women could drink without feeling crude.
I was determined to find a beer I liked to prove that this was not all about men.
I tried three different types: The first was Blond Witch, which was a very feminine drink and I was attracted to it just because of the name. But I couldn't drink a lot of it.
Then I tried Welsh Black, which to be honest, tasted like medicine.
The last was my favourite, a cherry beer - Kriek, to give it its exact name. It was a little like drinking cherryade and I think it would prove a hit with the ladies.
I learnt that there was more to ale than the dark, bitter substance I associate it with.
There was a vast array of lagers, beers and ales in a spectrum of styles and flavours more varied than wine.
It really just depends on your taste and if you women out there have any, I'd recommend trying the Real Ale Festival for yourself.
(You can find this on http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1278999,00.html)
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