Football, muscle cars, and beer.

What do these things have in common? They are mostly considered "guy things." The stereotypical image of men sitting around on a Sunday afternoon, screaming at some large television set with cans of ice cold, watery, weak, mega-brewed beer resting on their sizable bellies has kept many people, especially women, away from beer.

Where The Males Are

Studies show that males purchase 65% more beer than women. Advertisements for beer are typically targeted at young males and feature buxom blondes as the object of the male beer drinker's desires. The Swedish Bikini Team is probably the worst offender in the gender specific beer advertising department, but things are about to change, and perhaps not for the better. Anheiser Busch is going to introduce a "female friendly" beer: A bud ultra light, if you will, half the alcohol and calories, and probably none of the taste. Budweiser's new brew will, of course, be sporting a flashy new marketing campaign...

But is this the answer? Is there no real brew that can come to the rescue? No subtle mix of ingredients that doesn't insult the palate and is enjoyable to men and women alike?

The answer is "Yes, there is."

With the great selection of craft-brewed beers, both domestic and international, there is plenty out there to please all comers; all genders are welcome. More important than making beer "female friendly" is to educate women to the fact that there are many thousands of beers produced throughout the world, in over forty different styles, each with flavors and character totally divergent from the swill in the silver can or white and red can. Beers can be as complex and possess all the noblity of wine, and play on the tongue like no fancy, high-priced cocktail ever can. It's about time we, as beer drinkers, moved past the old illusory barriers of gender and warmly welcomed women into the fold.

If you are a woman looking to step into the world of good beer, or a man who wants to introduce that special someone to your world of beloved brews here are some suggestions to get you started.

What You Can Do

1. Start off on lighter beers, but not "light beers."
2. Try different styles. It's important for new beer drinkers to realize how much diversity there really is in beer.
3. Try something fruity, like lambics, hefe-weizens, or even ciders.
4. Don't serve anything ice cold; let a good ale warm just a bit before pouring to let some of the more complex tastes come through.
5. Try, try again. If you don't find the beer of your life in your first pint remember there are plenty more to be had in the big cooler of life.