Girls (Should) Like Beer, Too.

Why is it that so many women say they don't like beer? And why do basically all men assume that women don't like beer? Somewhere along the line, beer got stuck in the same category as wrestling and car racing: consumed by meat-head guys; marketed by hot chicks in bikinis. I'll take a good beer over wine any day. Liquor is reserved for airplanes and places where the beer selection completely sucks. Brightly-colored cocktails have their place...at bridal showers and sorority parties.

It's my feeling that if you need your alcohol to taste like candy you're too young to be drinking alcohol. I don't care if you're over 21. So with that, I say it's time for women to start drinking beer. It won't be an easy process. Beer is an acquired taste. It took me a good 5 years to really appreciate beer. The first time I tasted a Guinness I thought it was undrinkable. Now, it's almost too light for me.

If you're new to beer drinking, and really don't think you like the taste, I suggest starting with one of the candy flavored ones (ha!). I find that fruit lambics, especially Kriek and Framboise (cherry and raspberry, respectively) are highly enjoyed by even the most adamant of beer-hating girly-girls. If you want a little more beer flavor, a good hefeweizen is the place to start. These beers are already rather sweet, and adding a slice of orange or lemon will cut the bitterness.* And if you really want to impress the dudes you're hanging out with, Delirium Tremens is still one of my favorite beers. It's a Belgian Pale Ale with lots of character, but the hints of fruit and bubblegum aftertaste make it palatable for most beginning beer drinkers.

So go! Try something new, then tell me what you think. If you have any suggestions for good "starter beers," leave them in the comments.


* Of course, you're not actually supposed to put citrus in hefeweizens, but that's a post for another day.