Beer Surpasses Wine as the Drink of Choice for Young Women

LOS ANGELES -- Beer has typically been thought of as the alcoholic beverage of choice for men. Not anymore.

According to a 2012 Gallup poll, beer has passed wine as the favorite alcoholic beverage for women between 18 and 34 years old. And, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, women between 25 and 34 years old are helping push the growth of craft beer sales -- with many choosing an India Pale Ale (IPA) over a Chardonnay.

Julia Herz, the craft beer program director for the Boulder, Colo.-based Brewers Association, explained that women in their 20s and 30s are in "the sweet spot" for craft beer consumption. They're the same quality-minded consumers who are buying artisanal cheeses and fair-trade coffees and who don't mind waiting for a bartender to shake a craft cocktail, she added.

Craft beer is also an affordable way to buy artisanal. The cost of a bottle of beer, usually less than a bottle of wine, provides aficionados a chance to sample several craft beer flavors for a "simple trade up in price compared to wine," Herz told the newspaper.