Women have had a turbulent journey when it comes to beer.

Historically, brewing was a household chore and so fell under the remit of the woman - the brewster. But from the 17th century, things began to change. The reputation of brewing was maturing, becoming more well known and well thought of - and with that, the trade began to slip away from women and into the hands of men.

Over time, gendered stereotypes of the real ale brewer and drinker have emerged - from the old bloke to the young hipster - and become ingrained in society. Marketing campaigns have assisted in portraying men and women in positions of opposing status in relation to the product.

But now, the industry is coming full circle - women are brewing, drinking, and becoming experts in beer.

ALES & FEMALES (A&F) is an independent, journalistic project into this complex relationship between women and beer in the UK. The site explores the existence of stereotypes and sexism in a historic, everyday and advertising context and acts as a platform for people to voice their opinions on the state of the industry today.

The people contacted and featured on this site are from a variety of regions and a variety of positions in the brewing industry. All views presented are those of the credited individual and not necessarily those of the site or author.