Beer consumption is at an all time low and with analysts predicting it to fall even further over the next few years, industry leaders are looking for a solution and the answer might just be in the hands of women.

Kirrily Waldhorn, also known as the Beer Diva, has worked in the industry for 17 years as a presenter, educator, consultant, writer, and judge. She says, that despite women accounting for 51 per cent of the population, only 15 per cent are represented in beer consumption. Her mission – is to get more women drinking beer.

“Beer consumption is currently at an all-time low and it’s predicted to fall even further in the coming years, but with females making up over half of the population, there’s a huge untapped market,” Waldhorn explains.

There are a number of reasons why women haven’t traditionally drunk beer says Waldhorn, with the biggest of those being the exclusion of women from beer marketing and the negative perceptions around beer as a gut inducing beverage, served in often unattractive, overflowing pint glasses.

Waldhorn says, “For years in Australia, beer has been marketed as a ‘drink for the blokes’. Until recently, beer advertising was men standing around the BBQ, in the pub as a posse sharing their common love of beer…women were rarely featured. When they were, they were tokens, there to look pretty…definitely not to drink the beer.”

This hasn’t been helped by the often bitter element of beer either says Waldhorn.

“Even most men will admit they didn’t love their first beer, but they persisted as beer was going to be such a big part of the ritual to manhood. For females, bitterness is perceived at higher levels than males, so the hurdle is that much higher.”

With bartenders and bottle shop retailers often being the first port of call when it comes to a consumer choosing what to buy, drinks bulletin asks the question – what can trade do to help encourage more women to drink beer?

Waldhorn says, “Everyone who works in the industry has a responsibility to sense check how they are communicating about beer.

“There are some fantastic breweries and beer educators who put on incredible events which really break down the barriers for women and there are some that unfortunately, still haven’t quite got the message yet! Bar staff and bottle shop staff should also be invested in beer education. This should not only be around beer understanding and appreciation, however, but also in how to talk to women about beer. Across many venues, there still seems to be a default to talking down to women when it comes to beer or even a disinterest in wanting to engage with women when it comes to recommending a beer.”

Waldhorn suggests asking the consumer what they usually like to drink, the flavours they are looking for and the occasion; use this to select a style that would suit what they’re after and then offer them a sample of the beer.

“A small sample is a fantastic way of encouraging women to try a beer, without them having to commit to a full size if they don’t like it,” says Waldhorn, who also suggests not pouring the beer into a standard beer glass. “Instead, offer females a wine glass; immediately this takes beer out of that ‘bloke in the bar’ territory and into something more sophisticated.”

The final piece in the puzzle, according to Waldhorn, is for bar staff to demonstrate a respect for beer.

“This comes down to how they pour the beer (give me a clean glass and get the nozzle out of my beer, thank you!), serve it as it should be served, i.e. with a decent head and rinse the glass of any beer before it’s placed over the bar,” Waldhorn says. “Simple stuff, but there are far too many venues who see beer as a commodity and give it very little care and attention when serving. Too many times, I am training venues who have never had any beer training and yet when asked about wine or cocktail training, the time spent on these categories is extensive.

“None of this is difficult to execute, it’s really about education, not continuing to reinforce the negative stereotypes, being encouraging rather than condescending and presenting beer as it should be.”