Beer is most definitely more of a man's drink, and it's because of what have become the social mores of our culture. Beer is more often associated with sporting events, poker, pub games (darts, billiards, etc.) -- that kind of thing -- all of which tend to be the province of men. Perhaps that's because back in the so-called "olden days," more men than women were playing sports and gambling away the money they made that week, while women stayed at home to cook the meals and take care of the kids. In this way, beer in its many forms became part of men's social lives.

Later, it was decided that women could go outside the house to work -- and even hang out with the guys. What a concept! Nonetheless, beer-drinking was a decidedly masculine thing to do, so you had fewer women than men downing the suds, opting instead for the more feminine cocktail or delicate glass of chardonnay (or, for a time, the wine cooler, which is kinda like an alcoholic beverage cleverly dressed in juicy clothing).

Old habits die hard, and commercials do little to alter these norms. Watch ten seconds of any beer commercial, and you'll quickly see they're catering to rugged and fun-loving twenty- and thirty-something guys -- maybe a couple gals, but mostly guys. These commercials air during football and baseball games, not during figure skating events that involve lutzes and salchows. (What a salchow is, I have no idea, but give me a couple beers and I'll conjure a flashy definition for you.) Men want to know what Dick Butkus has to say, and they want to do it with a cold I.P.A. in hand; women want to know what Dick Button has to say, and they want to do it with a fruity and floral pinot in hand.

This brings me to my final point: Men like things that are competitive, dangerous, rough, ugly and nasty. Hey, we can't help it; it's in our genes, a biological imperative. We like carburetors and burnt toast. We like Slim Jims and pork rinds. We like playing rugby in muddy fields. Beer goes along with that -- its generally bitter flavor fits right in with our ugly and nasty natures. There's a certain fraternal camaraderie that goes along with downing mug upon mug of Sam Adams -- or, if you're on a budget, Pabst Blue Ribbon -- with friends, trying to drink each other under the table. (By the way, I DO NOT condone this behavior. NOBODY should be drinking Pabst! Sheesh.) Women, on the other hand, go for one of the many variations on a martini that seem to be sweeping the nation these days. They're colorful, light, sophisticated beverages that almost look like art. Some of these drinks even come with skewered fruit cubes and floating olives. These are drinks that know how to accessorize! You hear me, ladies.

So the next time you see Deke and Günter sharing light conversation over a couple cosmos with umbrellas and cherries hanging over the sugar-frosted rim of a martini glass, take a picture. It'll make the front page of the daily news for sure.

- Keith

Disclaimer: I hope you read enough sarcasm into what I wrote to realize I in no way put men and women on different pedestals. I have equal respect for both sexes, and realize each is equally capable of what the other can accomplish. This isn't meant to be a men-versus-women response. I just see the popularity of beer among men to be the result of a certain social evolution. To that end, I challenge any woman to meet me for a friendly game of darts at the local pub. I guarantee that (a) you'll kick my butt left, right and sideways at darts, and (b) you'll drink me under the table after two glasses. :)

Being ’one of the boys’...fitting in...relating to each other...burping...

 

But, just a note here...I think men may prefer beer and women equally...LOL

 

It just seems to me that we women seem to relate to each other in a social situation over a glass of wine...where, when the men get together, it’s more masculine for them to all stand around with a bottle/can of beer in their hand...talking about sports.

 

Could be the price, too.  It’s more affordable to have a 12 pack of beer on hand ’when the ’guys’ come over than to be serving a variety of wines and mixed drinks.

 

The taste...well, I’d have to guess that it’s an ’acquired’ taste...that they learned to like from just ’fitting in’.

 

I remember my son, Bill...once he got married and got his own home, buying the 'brewing kit'...making and bottling his own beer.  It was a big deal with all his 'guy friends'.

107 Reasons why Beer is Better than Women

1.  You can enjoy a beer all month.
2.  Beer stains wash out.
3.  You don’t have to wine and dine a beer.
4.  Your beer will always wait patiently for you in the car.
5.  When beer goes flat you toss it out.
6.  Beer is never late.
7.  HANGOVERS go away.
8.  A beer doesn’t get jealous when you grab another beer.
9.  Beer labels come off without a fight.
10.  When you go to a bar, you know you can always pick up a beer.

...and 97 more at the link:

Every female I know, including myself, can't seem to get beyond the smell of the yeast.  Females tend to be more attracted to more fruity smells when it comes to alcoholic beverages.  That's why a lot of the bigger companies are making the fruity beers now, I believe.  This is just my opinion...and you know what is said about opinions...everybody's got one.  It's not written in stone...it's just a thought. 

107 Reasons why Beer is Better than Women

(I don't say that they are good reasons :-)

  1.  You can enjoy a beer all month.
  2.  Beer stains wash out.
  3.  You don't have to wine and dine a beer.
  4.  Your beer will always wait patiently for you in the car.
  5.  When beer goes flat you toss it out.
  6.  Beer is never late.
  7.  HANGOVERS go away.
  8.  A beer doesn't get jealous when you grab another beer.
  9.  Beer labels come off without a fight.
 10.  When you go to a bar, you know you can always pick up a beer.
 11.  Beer never has a headache.
 12.  After you have a beer, the bottle is still worth a dime.
 13.  A beer won't get upset if you come home with beer on your breath.
 14.  If you pour a beer right, you will always get good head.
 15.  You can have more than one beer a night and not feel guilty.
 16.  A beer ALWAYS goes down easy.
 17.  You can share a beer with your friends.
 18.  You always know that you are the first one to pop a beer.
 19.  A beer is always wet.
 20.  beer doesn't demand equality.
 21.  A beer doesn't care when you come.
 22.  You can have a beer in public.
 23.  A frigid beer is a good beer.
 24.  You don't have to wash a beer before it tastes good.
 25.  Beer always comes in multiples of six.
 26.  Beer doesn't mind being in the "wet spot" that IT left.
 27.  You can't catch anything but a "buzz" from a beer.
 28.  After you have a beer, you're committed to nothing other than
      dumping the empty bottle. 
 29.  A beer never costs you more than five dollars and never leaves
      you thirsty. 
 30.  When your beer is gone, you just pop another.
 31.  You rarely (if ever) find beer labels on the shower curtain rod.
 32.  Beer looks the same in the morning.
 33.  Beer doesn't look you up in a month.
 34.  Beer doesn't worry about someone walking in.
 35.  Beer doesn't worry about waking the kids.
 36.  Beer doesn't get cramps.
 37.  Beer doesn't have a mother.
 38.  Beer doesn't have morals.
 39.  Beer doesn't go crazy once a month.
 40.  Beer always listens and never argues.
 41.  Beer labels don't go out of style every year.
 42.  Beer doesn't whine, it bubbles.
 43.  Beer doesn't have cold hands/feet.
 44.  Beer doesn't demand legality.
 45.  Beer is never overweight.
 46.  If you change beers, you don't have to pay alimony.
 47.  Beer won't run off with your credit cards.
 48.  Beer doesn't have a lawyer.
 49.  Beer doesn't need much closet space.
 50.  Beer can't give your herpes or other nasty things.
 51.  Beer doesn't complain about the way you drive.
 52.  Beer doesn't mind if you fart or belch.
 53.  Beer never changes its mind.
 54.  Beer doesn't tease you or play hard to get.
 55.  Beer never asks you to change the station.
 56.  Beer doesn't make you go shopping.
 57.  Beer doesn't tell you to mow the grass.
 58.  Beer doesn't mind seeing Chuck Norris and Charles Bronson flicks.
 59.  Beer is always easy to pick up.
 60.  Big, fat beers are nice to have.
 61.  Beer doesn't pout or play games.
 62.  Beer NEVER says no.
 63.  Beer is easy to get into.
 64.  Beer never complains when you take it somewhere.
 65.  Beer doesn't need to go to the 'powder room' with other beers.
 66.  Beer doesn't wear a bra.
 67.  Beer doesn't mind getting dirty.
 68.  Beer doesn't complain about insensitivity.
 69.  Beer doesn't use up your toilet paper.
 70.  Beer doesn't live with its mother.
 71.  Beer doesn't blow you off.
 72.  Beer doesn't care if you have no culture or manners.
 73.  Beer doesn't bitch, yell, or cry.
 74.  Beer doesn't mind football season.
 75.  A beer won't make you go to church.
 76.  A beer is more likely to know how to spell "carburetor" than a woman.
 77.  A beer doesn't think baseball is stupid simply because the guys spit.
 78.  A beer doesn't think DOS is pronounced "dose".
 79.  A beer doesn't give a fuck if you keep a bunch of other beers around.
 80.  A beer will not insist that those odious Michelin commercials
      with babies are "cute". 
 81.  If a beer leaks all over the room, it smells kinda good for a while.
 82.  A beer will not call you a sexist pig if you say "doberman"
      instead  of "doberperson". 
 83.  A beer won't get a job as a DJ and play 5 straight hours of
      lesbian folk music on your favorite radio station.
 84.  A beer won't claim that the Three Stooges are shitheads.
 85.  A beer won't raise a fuss about a little thing like leaving the
      toilet seat up. 
 86.  If you mention a "three-hundred-fifty cubic-inch V8" around a beer,
      it won't think you're talking about an enormous can of vegetable
      juice. 
 87.  A beer won't whine that seatbelts hurt.
 88.  A beer won't smoke in your car.
 89.  A beer won't argue that there's no difference between shooting
      down an unidentified aircraft in a war zone and blowing a Korean
      airliner out of the sky. 
 90.  A beer will never buy a car with automatic transmission.
 91.  A beer will actually *support* belching and farting and share
      your enthusiasm for getting them included as demonstration
      sports in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
 92.  A beer is always ready to leave on time.
 93.  A beer never fishes for compliments.
 94.  Some beers (e.g. St. Pauli Girl) have fabulous tits.
 95.  Beer tastes *good*.
 96.  If you take a beer outta the fridge just to look at it but then
      decide to drink it, the beer won't accuse you of "date rape".
 97.  A beer won't raise any objections to an evening of watching
      "John Holmes' Greatest Hits" on your VCR.
 98.  An ice-cold beer will nonetheless let you have your way with it.
 99.  A beer won't make you pick up some tampons when you go to the
      grocery store. 
100.  A beer won't accuse you of lying when you say you read Penthouse
      "just for the articles".  (You *are* lying, but the beer won't
      accuse you of it). 
101.  A beer won't worry that you'll go to jail if you videotape a
      Giants game without the expressed, written consent of the
      National Football League. 
102.  A beer won't fill up your car with cheesy 85-octane gas with the
      excuse: "But I saved a quarter!"
103.  A beer will *never* make you go to a Swedish movie.
104.  A beer will *never* make you turn off "Fists of Fury Theater" on
      channel 5 on Saturday afternoons.
105.  A beer won't accuse you of being a sexist pig if you say "Gene
      Hackman" instead of  "Gene Hackperson".
106.  A beer won't make you eat some experimental vegetarian meal that
      tastes like STP Oil Treatment.
107.  When you're through with a beer, the thought of another beer
      doesn't make you ill.