Apparently, according to statistics, half the people in the world are women. Without women, there'd be no beer.
The first person to write about beer was the Sumerian goddess Ninkasi, the goddess of beer who scribbled down a recipe for beer on a clay tablet.
Ninkasi, it was believed, enjoyed a religious relationship with the lady folk and it was believed that the goddess of beer blessed beer vessels. Women brewers were revered for a spiritual connection that, magically, transformed grainy sludge into grog. (It wasn't magical, it was yeast that was turning sugars into alcohol but they didn't know that then as they didn't even have microscopes or, indeed, a Bunsen burner. Yeast IS pretty magical anyway).
Ancient Egyptian paintings and pots are rife with brewing depictions and these images show brewers as women not men.
According to ancient Finnish folklore, ale was first created by three women: Osmotor, Kapo, and Kalevatar. While preparing for a wedding feast, Kalevatar combined saliva from a bear with wild honey and created the gift of ale.
Right up until brewing was seized upon as a large-scale commercial venture, it was the exclusive preserve of women. "Brewsters" and "ale wives" are frequently mentioned in medieval history.
In primitive society, men's role was a fairly simple one. Hunting, fighting and refusing to ask for directions when lost. Brewing was a form of cooking and, therefore, fell under the remit of "her indoors".
Women had a lot on their plate (quite literally). Their brewing role was a communal one. Women oversaw the collective consumption of beer in primitive society, fulfilling the triple role of brewer, barmaid and bouncer.
Early evidence of a woman's brewing role can be found in "The English Housewife", a 17th century version of Good Housekeeping and Vogue. "It is most requisite and fit that the Housewife be experienced and well practiced in the well making of malt... for as from it is made the drink by which the household is nourished and sustained".
While monastic life is synonymous with brewing, it wasn't just abbeys and monks that hailed the ale. Beer was brewed by nuns in convents. In fact, it became quite a habit...
In fact, the first person to write about hops was a 12th century German nun called Hildegarde of Bingen (nothing WHATSOEVER to do with binge drinking). She is also credited with the first written description of the female orgasm. She sounds like a lovely lady.
Queen Elizabeth I consumed beer for breakfast.
Although the vast majority of brewers are now male, there are plenty of female brewers making magic with their mash-fork.
In Bavaria, there are two convents that still brew beer for the locals while, in Finland, the Lapin Kulta lager is famous for being brewed by the fairer sex.
In the US, there are hundreds of female craft brewers creating fabulous brews while, in the UK, there are numerous ladies looking after the brews. The Colombian-born Paola Leather brews beer at the St. Austell Brewery in Cornwall; Susan Chisolm is the chief taster at Greene King; Jean Timmons at Shepherd Neame is responsible for some quality Kent ale while, in Scotland, Catherine Maxwell Stuart oversees the ales at the awesome Traquair House Brewery – a stunning Scottish castle that's been brewing beer since as early as 1566.
However, according to recent research, 79% of women in the UK never or rarely drink beer, only drinking beer on a small number of occasions.
The reason that women don't drink as much beer as men is a combination of misconceptions, myopic macho marketing, a lack of information and the way it is served. It's nothing to do with the taste. There are more than 60 different beer styles to choose from, many of which will appeal to female drinkers. One could suggest fruit beers, golden ales, wheat beers and light, easy-drinking lagers. But that would be to suggest that women don't have the palate or the ability to enjoy "bigger" beers. And that, of course, would be a load of old sexist rhubarb.
Fact is, female palettes differ very little from those of men and it's a fallacy that bitterness is all a bit too much for female tastebuds. Dark chocolate? Vinaigrette? Olives? Espresso? All are regularly lured into a lady's laughing gear and beer's no different.
"But I don't like drinking pints and beer is too gassy". You silly woman! There's no law saying beer must be drunk from a pint glass. Very few other countries consume beer this way. In Belgium, where beer reverence is rife, beer is served in a dazzling array of elaborate, elegant vessels. There's even one called a "bolleke".
Beer deserves as much pomp and ceremony as wine or spirits so don't be shy to decant your brew into a Champagne flute (light lagers or pilsners), a tulip (golden ales), a snifter (oak-aged beers, porters or stouts) or a martini glass (fruit beers).
Oh, and not all beer is full of fizz. A golden cask-conditioned ale, for example, is mildly effervescent and delicious drunk from a wine glass.
In an attempt to expand female epicurean horizons and enlighten women to the sheer depth and breadth of beer, Molson Coors has set up The Bittersweet Partnership.
During 2010, BitterSweet is taking real solutions to women to encourage re-evaluation of the beer category; this will include new and refreshing occasions to enjoy beer, new ways to drink beer, myth-busting campaigns to change the image of beer, and product innovations to change the taste of beer.
A spokeswoman comments; "Since BitterSweet launched a year ago, we have spoken to over 30,000 British women about their relationship with beer to find out what they want, and have worked on initiatives to help improve the serve as well as drinking experience."
Find out more here: www.bittersweetpartnership.com