Ale Popularity Grows!

There's a story in the Guardian about the increasing popularity of ale among both women and younger drinkers:

Real ale revival continues as women and young buy more

Report says sophisticated drinkers are keeping cask ale sales buoyant, despite pub closures and a declining total beer market

• Rebecca Smithers, consumer affairs correspondent
• The Guardian, Monday 27 September 2010

 

Judge Melissa Cole assesses a beer in contention for the champion beer award at the Great British Beer Festival 2010. Real ale is enjoying a revival in the UK, according to a new report. [[ Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Image]]

 

Real ale is enjoying a revival, a report reveals today, as younger drinkers and women embrace a drink which may be shedding its traditional "flat cap" image.

Despite declining total beer sales and pub closures, research shows that cask ale has outperformed the rest of the beer market for the third year running, increasing its share of beer sold in pubs and clubs and recruiting 100,000 new drinkers.

According to the Cask Report, Britain's National Drink, 2010-2011, published today, the real ale market grew by 5% in 2009 to £1.4bn, against a 2% decline in the total UK beer market, which remains dominated by carbonated beers such as lager. [read the rest]

More good news: The editorial board of WLoAD -- Stephanie, Vicky and me -- met in Northampton MA this past weekend to review our submissions. The site was chosen because it's about the same distance from each of us. What a great bunch of submissions! There are some fabulous creative women who are eager to be part of our project. We're starting small (this site and a journal) but we have big ambitions. Baby steps for now, but look out when we gather some steam!

Welcome!

Kippis! Na zdrowie! Slainte! Cheers! Skål!

The Women's League of Ale Drinkers is happy to see you here! As our fabulous models Angela and Ryane demonstrate, we're all about the celebration of women drinking ale. Note their fabulous WLoAD badges proudly worn in the environs of Mahar's AKA the best bar in the world (or at least in Albany NY). The fabulous image on the badges, designed by our own Stephanie Johnson, celebrates the ale drinking women of the world, who seem to be growing in numbers.

What's that? You're not a woman? You don't drink ale? Well, we're easy going folks here. As long as you support women who do drink ale, you're welcome to wear a WLoAD badge. Because it also says that you support women artists, like the fine folk we link to on this blog.

There will be more to come from the geniuses who founded this group, but for the present all we ask is that you raise a frosty glass and salute the members of WLoAd. Okole maluna!