Finally a beer just for women!

Picture of a six pack of "Chick" with a pink and black label

Finally a beer just for women, reads the tagline of the website for chick, a new “premium light beer” marketed toward women. In case you miss the female reference in the beer’s name, the pink and black six-pack case might alert you, as it’s decorated to look like a purse. And if somehow you miss all of those signals, there is the little black dress replete with hourglass figure on the bottle itself.

On why she decided to create a beer marketed toward women, chick founder Shazz Lewis had this to say:

Their whole thing is that we don’t need a beer specifically for women and I’m like, ‘Why not?’ The beer industry has been for men for so long. But it’s changing all around — the NFL has that whole line of female jerseys, and Harley has bikes for women. I say, ‘Don’t get so upset. Just relax, it’s beer.’

I wouldn’t say I’m upset. More like annoyed, and tired of the ridiculous gendering of products. Beer marketing is notoriously male-focused and sexist (super bowl anyone?), so I’m all for new advertising that doesn’t fall into sexist stereotypes. This beer unfortunately just swings the other direction–trying to reach women via outdated stereotypes about what women want. Witness the chickness! says the six pack. Witness me puking a little bit in my mouth.

Chick isn’t the first alcoholic beverage to go in this direction. Skinnygirl cocktails is a new (and extremely successful) product out on the market thanks to Bethenny Frankel, a reality tv star. I think gendered marketing is silly and serves simply to reinforce the gender binary that gets reinforced so much that we’re practically getting beaten over the head with it.

In response to the question of what makes this beer “girly,” Shazz said, “It’s very mellow. It has a little less carbonation so it doesn’t make you burp. There’s no bitterness, and I think that was the big appeal for women.”

Photo via Village Voice

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