IT WASN'T so long ago that the only women you saw in the beer world were either wearing bikinis on TV or posing nekkid in pinups on the walk-in box at your local beer distributor.
The pinups are probably still there, but I've noticed a big jump in the number of women working for small breweries - mainly as sales reps, but as brewers, too. I chatted with several of them recently. Here's what they had to say.
Q: Is beer still a man'sworld?
Wendy Domurat (sales rep, Dogfish Head Brewery): Absolutely not! Perhaps it was when the choices were limited to the mass-produced, domestic, light lagers. Women, with their superior palates, might have only begrudgingly drank these.
Whitney Thompson (quality assurance, Victory Brewing): On the consumer end, if you look at the statistics, beer is definitely a man's world. A Gallup poll in 2010 determined that of women who consume alcoholic beverages, only 27 percent prefer beer!
Q: Is it tougher to convince a woman to drink your beer?
Megan Maguire (sales rep, Duvel-Moortgat): I find it very easy to approach males and females. They mostly want to know: How did you get that job?
Suzanne Woods (sales rep, Allagash Brewing): I could imagine that it's easier for a woman to be swayed by another woman.
Thompson: What women don't always realize, or haven't been exposed to, is that craft beer actually isn't yellow fizzy lager.
Maguire: Some women might've thought they didn't enjoy beer, but these days, there are so many different varieties that many are discovering they actually enjoy it.
Q: Is there something that you bring to beer that a guy doesn't?
Woods: From a tasting standpoint, it is said that woman have 10,000 more taste buds then men.
Domurat: A woman hosting a beer dinner or tasting event is somewhat of an advantage, especially to potential female customers. Once they assess that you are not a hoochie promo girl in high-heeled boots and short, short skirt, they are open to discussing what you have to sample and hear.
Q: What's the toughest part about working in beer?
Carol Stoudt (founder, Stoudt's Brewing): Lifting half-barrels, if you have a bad back. But we do have hand trucks, forklifts and other helpful devices.
Domurat: I am on the road a lot, and that doesn't always allow for the healthiest eating habits.
