Beer

I like beer.

I like pints of beer, to be precise, the proper beer, not the fizzy wee-coloured stuff known as "lager".  (Everyone's wee is that colour, right?  Or do I need to drink more water and less beer?).

I am a CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) member and get involved with the local branch.  Every so often, there are murmurings from CAMRA about women being more interested in ale. There was also an article in the last CAMRA newspaper about novelty pump clips and the arguments for and against.

The argument failed to take into account my main irritation with certain novelty pump clips and other marketing materials.  It is also possibly why some women might be put off trying beer.  I will use this one example to illustrate it and see if you can guess what I mean:

Otter Brewery have a beer called Head.  They use marketing materials stating, "Ask your barmaid for Head".

Do I really need to say more?


I guess some people might think it's fine to have a beer called The Village Bike, or to have a pump clip with naked women on it.  It's just that I don't, and I would actively avoid any breweries who use this type of casual sexism in their marketing.  And to be honest, I don't understand why anyone would feel any differently.

It is attitudes like this which means that many women are still experiencing discrimination and exploitation, and although this seems like a minor point it all contributes.  We need to change these negative attitudes.

So, beer drinkers, I would urge you to think twice before you accept beer names and pumpclip marketing as just another joke.  Don't choose Otter, or any other beer marketed in this way.  And for heaven's sake, avoid Northumberland Brewery.

By the way, any beers you come across in your local pubs which have dodgy marketing, please send photos to me or to another good blog dedicated to the subject, Pumpclip Parade.