It is easy to rail against the BMC and their commercials of women being inexplicably drawn to men who drink their beer. Of course it’s stupid. But it is a siren song that works on enough people to justify being used so repeatedly.
It is also easy to be disappointed when a craft brewer like Clown Shoes or Mother Earth uses T&A to brand their products. We expect more from our brethren.
But what is harder to do, and it is a trap that even I don’t always avoid, is treating women as beer equals. (Or in many cases as superiors to learn from).
The big item on the agenda to change is pre-judging. That is easier said than done because we do it all the time. Lumping people into stereotypical groups based on one easily accessed fact.
Would you tell all people who fall under the zodiac sign of Pisces that they would enjoy a fruity beer? No, because you don’t base beer suggestions based on when a person was born. So why would you suggest that to a woman?
I know, you have seen it or read about it enough to think its true. By that token, I could just order a burly Double IPA for every man I see. Here’s the deal. Maybe a person will conform to a norm. Maybe they are a walking talking stereotype. But everyone is different. Maybe only slightly, sure. Which means you can’t make blanket assumptions. You have to get to know the person. At least a little.
Stop treating people as a group to be treated under different rules. Treat everyone as simply a beer drinker or more importantly as a potential super fan.
Whether you are behind the bar, on a date, crafting a new beer recipe or simply making a suggestion of a beer it should not be pitched as targeting a stereotype. Find out what the person likes or dislikes. See what food they are eating. Give the person the best beer for their moment.
And please do the same for men. I hate being stereotyped too.
(Check out this post for more Do’s and Don’ts)