Cask beer sales up ~ especially to women

Sales of real ale, or cask beer if you prefer, have increased by 1% over the last year, according to the annual Cask Report. This is a modest rise but, as the preamble to the report says, "Over the last few years, cask beer has seen a remarkable turnaround. It's now outperforming every other beer style, benefiting from the increasing demand for products with local provenance, natural ingredients and interesting flavours."

The report states that the number of women who say they drink real ale has doubled, but many women commented that they have been put off trying real ale because of the negative, macho image it often has. Brewers who feel their pump clips should look like pictures from Loaded with silly sexist names to match should perhaps consider how they may be losing sales.

If you haven't time to read the whole document, BBC News summarises it here.