Women to get their own beer; will they want it?

New craft beer enterprise High Heel Brewing hopes to be a shoo-in with female beer lovers.

Founded by 20-year industry veteran and master brewer Kristi McGuire, High Heel will be one of the few women-run beer operations and, when its first two beers begin distribution in Florida next month, the only one that makes beers that cater specifically to women.

High Heel's beers boast stylish packaging -- The Slingback Perry Ale's four-pack is dressed in mauve and hop green colors, while the Too Hop'd to Handle India Pale Ale is a more gender neutral pallete of warm reds, oranges and purples. Both bear the brand's logo of a hop poised on a stiletto heel.

If demand for those beers is high, High Heel and brewing partner Brew Hub plan to expand the beers' availability beyond the state. "There’s plenty of women out there who would say (a women-owned brewery) is an overdue idea," says High Heel's McGuire, who launched new products and brands across North America for Anheuser-Busch from 2001 to 2009. In recent years, she has been a consultant in the craft brewing industry.

High Heel Brewing may be stepping out at the right time. Women have been integral to the growth of craft beer -- made by small, independent breweries -- as its share of the overall $106 billion U.S. beer market has risen to about 21%, up from 10% in 2012, according to the Brewers Association, a trade group representing craft breweries.

Women consume about 32% of craft beer, the Association estimates, with an all-important demographic -- young women, aged 21 to 34 -- accounting for 15% of all consumption.

"Women embracing craft beer are looking for strong, unique flavors," said Jimmy McCune, executive director of New York advertising firm EGC Group's craft beverage division. "They’re looking for new styles and brands, and are far more adventurous when experimenting with new flavors than their male craft-beer-drinking counterparts."

Past attempts to target women haven't fared well. Five years ago, Carlsberg and Molson Coors each brought to market new beers, Copenhagen and Animée, respectively, targeted at women in Europe. Both tapped out in about a year. Carlsberg does have a Jacobsen Velvet golden ale with a bubbly foam akin to champagne, for men and women, but it's not a big seller, the brewery says.

But that doesn't mean brewers are giving up. Here in the U.S., the makers of ChickBeer are seeking financial support for a national launch of their light lager, which they have tested for three years in local markets across the country. "It resonated with women because the beer industry has always been so male-dominated," said Shazz Lewis, who along with husband Dave created the brand.

One-time wine and liquor store owners, they sold their Easton, Md. store to launch ChickBeer. "It occurred to me there really hadn’t been anything out there specifically for women," she said. Taste testings steered them to "a light beer on the maltier, softer side that women preferred," Lewis said. "We didn’t want to dummy it down, it needed to be a stand-up beer ... not fruity flavored (and) as full-bodied as a light beer could be."

With testing done, they have stopped producing ChickBeer and are now seeking financial support for a national launch. The pink bottles and six-pack holder that looked like a purse will all get a makeover. "We’re convinced it’s the right beer, the right brand and the right time in the market," said Dave Lewis.

Rather than create new products, bigger beer brands seem to be shifting their advertising in recent years to become more inclusive of female consumers. Actress and comedian Amy Schumer joined Seth Rogen in Bud Light's ongoing mock political campaign ads that debuted during the Super Bowl. Recent Coors Light and Michelob Ultra ads include women and men enjoying beer after athletic pursuits.

"Many brewers, especially big brewers, have stated their desire to attract more women to the category. They do this via marketing, as well as playing toward flavors in general, which research shows appeals to women," said Jennifer Litz, editor of Craft Business Daily.

As for beers targeting females, Litz expects that "a lot of brewers, and indeed consumers, believe it's a bit too obviously pandering to create a beer specifically geared toward women."

And many women seem to be finding flavorful beers on their own. Females are big fans of sour ales and wild ales, preferring them 75% more than men do, Nielsen found in a recent survey. Women are also 55% more likely to prefer herb/spice brews and 20% more likely to preferred blonde or golden ales, Nielsen found.

"Women, particularly young women, are being brought into craft for a variety of reasons. First and foremost is flavor," said the Brewers Association's Chief Economist Bart Watson. "The variety of flavors being offered by craft brewers means that there are lots of choices, no matter your preferences."

Even though there are only a few women-run breweries -- Fort Collins, Colo.'s New Belgium Brewing is one, with Executive Chair Kim Jordan and CEO Christine Perich -- women play a huge part in the brewing industry. They make up 25% to 30% of brewing employees, says Emily Engdahl, executive director of the Pink Boots Society, a women's beer professional group which has more than 2,900 members.

"Historically, women have always been involved in beer," Engdahl said. "We started out as the ones who were brewing beer ... it was really the Industrial Revolution that knocked us out and the craft beer revolution that brought us back in."

High Heel's McGuire has been part of that wave of women brewers. She credits Diane Schoen, Brew Hub's vice president of marketing and wife of the company's CEO Timothy Schoen, with seeing the vision of High Heel Brewing and its potential in the marketplace.

"In the past, it was assumed women wanted sweeter and lighter beers and that’s just not the case," McGuire said. "That’s not what you see at the pub or the craft beer store."

High Heel's first two beers epitomize a bold, but nuanced approach. The Slingback Perry Ale is a beer with a fairly low alcohol content -- 5.4% alcohol by volume -- made with pear and passion fruit juices, along with chamomile and elderflower to add spice to the brew. Slightly more carbonated than other ales, with a light, refreshing finish, it's akin to Prosecco, McGuire says.

The other beer, Too Hop'd to Handle India Pale Ale, is an "aggressive" 8.4% alcohol and higher than average IPA bitterness (rated with 89 international bitterness units or IBUs). Made with four different kinds of hops, the beer is citrusy and bold -- and will likely appeal to men, too. The addition of Belgian candy sugar lessens "that little bit of malt linger that stays on your tongue," McGuire said. "I think women will appreciate that."

Throughout the year, the fourth hop -- Calypso in this first version -- will be rotated each season "to keep the beer fresh and new," she said. "Just like a chef would do for a seasonal ingredient to add to their dish."

McGuire is based in St. Louis and so is Brew Hub, but Brew Hub's brewery where the beers are made is in Lakeland, Fla. High Heel beers will be available on draft at its tasting room and sold in four-packs at retail in Florida. However, Brew Hub is planning to break ground this year on its second brewery in nearby Chesterfield, Mo. "Obviously, I'd like to sell beer in my home state," she said.

But Engdahl and McCune still question whether there's a need -- or a market -- for women-targeted beer.  "We don’t need a beer marketed to women because we need to market all beer to all people based on benefits of the beer itself," Engdahl said.

A non-gender approach to beer is ideal, McCune said. "Any time you isolate or shun half your audience," he said, "it’s never a good place to be."

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider